The Trial of Ten
by Gentle Hobbit
Summary: When the Metacrisis Doctor returns with Rose from the other universe, he is captured and put on trial for various crimes including genocide. Can Rose and Eleven save him? How does the case affect Eleven who is also, in effect, on trial?
1. A Way Home

**Author's Notes:** This story has already been written and completed. I will be posting a new chapter twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays (barring any unforeseen circumstances).

**Disclaimer:** This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All characters within belong to the BBC. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.

**Chapter 1:**_ A Way Home_

* * *

><p>The Doctor was dying. Not immediately. In fact, he'd been taking some time about it, as he had taken some time about getting through most of his regenerations. But now, here, in this alternate universe, he had no more regenerations and a part-Time Lord, part-human body which didn't seem to want to behave the way he preferred.<p>

Torchwood (which still existed on this Earth) had been created to collect alien artefacts. He was certainly one himself and, sequestered in their sub-terranean sickbay especially designed for non-humans, he had to agree that he was in the most appropriate place possible. Nevertheless, the idea of his body in the hands of Torchwood after his demise made him shudder.

He made a mental note to discuss that with Rose at the first opportunity away from cameras and recording devices.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'Show me,' he said.

Yvonne pressed the button that raised the head of the hospital bed, and Rose reached over and grabbed the laptop from the desk. Balancing the computer on the Doctor's lap, she pointed to the slowly moving energy graph in the middle of the screen. 'It started about fifteen minutes ago.'

Dark brown eyes gazed at the data scrolling across the screen. 'Fifteen,' he mused. 'Fifteen minutes. Right... I see the amplitude has increased by five percent since then. Like a seismograph, it's showing output of energy. Look at the wave form. It's building towards something... something incoming, I should think.' He panted a little after such a long speech.

'Save your energy,' said Rose and she stroked his cheek.

He smiled at her. 'Sorry. Not my style. But, Rose, I want to see this.'

'You're not strong enough,' objected Rose.

'I'm strong enough to lie in a bed,' said the Doctor patiently. 'Take me up there. Take me to the top of Torchwood Tower.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_**Rose**_

Energy pulsed and swirled, as far out as the last of the diagonal cables that lined the walls of the tower's top floor.

'You were right,' Rose whispered as she leaned over the bed. 'The readings have changed again. Something is coming through.'

'I wish you would let us bring in armed guards,' Yvonne said from behind them. 'There's no telling what's going to appear.'

'No!' The whisper from the bed was hoarse, but intense.

Rose frowned and shook her head at Yvonne. 'You know the Doctor's rules. No guns.'

'But-' Yvonne was cut off.

'It's getting bigger!' someone at the back yelled.

Rose blinked. There was a dark patch in the middle of the distortion. It seemed to hover for a moment, but before Rose could make out what its shape was, it suddenly grew until...

...until a man was pushed through and unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. Before anyone could move or speak, the man rolled in one fluid motion and rose to his feet. The energy vortex behind him disappeared.

'Hello,' he said as he looked around the room. He dusted himself off. 'I'm the...'

The man caught sight of Rose and he stopped. He peered at her intently and she shivered.

'Ah, I see,' said the man quietly. 'Hello, Rose.' He walked forward, slowly with hands down but palms forward in a placating manner. Rose looked behind her and saw the readiness and anxiety radiating from the Torchwood staff behind her.

'He's all right,' she said, although she was not sure why she felt so confident. She looked back and narrowed her eyes. The man certainly didn't look threatening. Rather, he looked like a young, absentminded professor in his tweed jacket and bowtie-a professor that really wanted one to do well in their exams but was generally confused when one did not.

She stood by and did nothing as the man approached the bed and looked down. It seemed right and it seemed natural, and suddenly Rose swallowed over a tight lump in her throat.

'It's you-I thought it might be,' the man murmured. 'But why like this, I don't know. Funny, that.' He reached down and very, very gently lifted an errant lock of dark brown hair back from a flushed and damp forehead. 'You know who I am, don't you.'

The Doctor smiled slightly. 'I do.'

'Doctor,' Rose said, although she was starting to understand. She reached over the bed railing and took up his hand. 'Who is he?'

He looked up at her. 'You don't need me to tell you, Rose. Look into his eyes.'

Rose did so and saw kind, green eyes looking steadily back. The man nodded slightly and smiled but said nothing.

'Oh,' Rose said, suddenly feeling hopeful and lost at the same time. 'You're the Doctor, aren't you. The original Doctor. The one who abandoned us here-who left my Doctor to die.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'I left him to die?' The Doctor looked startled. He frowned and looked down at the Doctor on the bed. 'What do you mean, I left him to die?'

'No way to get back,' said Rose, her voice hard. 'No way to get help if something went wrong. We can't ask doctors here - he's all wrong in their eyes.'

The Doctor tilted his head. 'How do you mean, "all wrong"?'

'He's human, all right,' she said bitterly. 'Or parts of him. But his heart's tilted to the right and everything else is on the wrong side-everything is that has a "side".' She flapped her hand near her eyes. 'Even the, you know,... blood vessels at the back of his eyes spiral in anti-clockwise... or was it clockwise. Whichever's the opposite to the rest of us.'

The Doctor perked up. 'Do they really?'

'Yes, they do!' Rose shouted. 'We can't take him to a hospital because they'll treat him like a freak show. We tried that. They love the fact that he has two different sets of genes, but they don't know how to treat him. We had to hide him here to get him out of their clutches, and we still can't help him. He's dying, and you're the only one who can do anything.'

'I... I see,' stammered the Doctor, eyeing Rose with some apprehension. 'I can understand why you're worried.' He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and scanned. Upon looking at it, he frowned and pocketed it. He bent over the bed railing and reached out his hands. 'May I?'

The other Doctor nodded. Gentle, careful hands reached out and fingers touched at each side of his face. Both Doctors closed their eyes.

Suddenly protective, Rose inched forward and watched, but their faces were relaxed. Behind them, the Torchwood staff still stood silently, although there were many craning necks as they tried to get a glimpse of what was going on. Rose ignored them.

After a few moments, the visiting Doctor straightened. He removed his hands, opened his eyes and sighed heavily. He looked at Rose. 'I may have done exactly as you said.' He cleared his throat. 'I want to try something, and I think it may help.' He looked back at the blank wall that he had come through, but the energy ripples had ceased. The wall was smooth, solid and white. He looked down at the Doctor. 'Do you trust me?'

The Doctor smiled somewhat ruefully. 'Do I have a choice?' he whispered. But he seemed to regret his words as soon as they were spoken and said a little more forcefully, 'Of course I do. You're me, remember?'

The visitor smiled back. 'If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?' He leaned over and once again smoothed away errant dark locks of hair. It was almost, Rose thought absently, as if he felt compelled to touch her Doctor's hair. In remembrance? In fascination?

'I need you to breathe out as hard as you can. Get rid of all the air from your lungs as much as possible. Do you understand? Then hold it. Hold it and wait for me.'

Rose's Doctor nodded, his brown eyes suddenly widening in realization.

The other Doctor let loose the catch on the bed railing and swung it down and out of his way. 'Breathe out,' he ordered. He laid his hand on the other's chest.

Rose frowned. She took up the hand that lay on the blanket close to her and held it tight.

Her Doctor breathed out as best he could, but, short of breath already, he was unable to drive out much air. In one swift motion, the other Doctor pinched her Doctor's nose closed with his fingers and, bending down, pressed his mouth hard over the other's and blew air forcefully into weakened lungs.

Her Doctor's chest rose. When their mouths parted, he exhaled, less shallowly. Rose started. It seemed to her that there was some tiny flicker of something at his lips. But before she could think further on this, the other Doctor again lowered his head and pressed his mouth to his patient's.

Fascinated, Rose watched closely as air was forced once again into her partner's lungs. This time, however, as he was allowed to exhale, she saw it. A curl of golden-tinged energy drifted out from between his lips.

As the visiting Doctor raised his head, Rose reached out and gripped his shoulder. 'You're feeding him Time Lord energy, aren't you? Like you did to that crystal in the Tardis. That's what he needs, isn't it?'

'Yes, Rose, I am. And, yes, I believe it is.'

They both looked down at the Doctor on the bed. He was panting very slightly and blinking owlishly. Rose brought his hand up to her chest. 'How do you feel,' she asked. She looked up briefly at the heart monitor. 'Your heart rate's increased.'

'Yeah,' he said. His voice was a little stronger. 'It seems I'm like the Tardis. We were right. It's this universe. I can't live here-the Time Lord part of me, at any rate.'

'Then we've got to get you back,' Rose said firmly. She looked up and levelled her gaze at the green eyes staring at her from across the bed. 'You have a problem with that? Now?'

'No,' he answered meekly. 'No, he can't stay here. But you-'

'Where he goes, I go,' Rose ground out. 'You don't get to choose this time. He and I-we're a couple, see. We belong together and nothing is going to get between us. D'you understand?'

The Doctor swallowed and nodded, backing away from the bed. 'I definitely understand,' he murmured. He once again looked back at the wall. 'The real question is, though, will I able to get you back? I didn't exactly plan to come here.'

She scowled. 'Then how did you get here?'

He shrugged. 'Cracks in the Universe, big explosion, time all wib... Long must have noticed some effects. But never mind. Suffice it to say, my universe spat me out here. Now it all depends on a young woman to remember me and bring me back.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Your... companion? A lover?'

The Doctor's eyes widened and he backed up a little further. 'Not a lover, Rose. Never. Just... just a companion. Like Martha. Like Donna.'

'Mm-hm,' Rose said.

The hand still holding hers squeezed. 'Leave it,' her Doctor said softly.

The object of her ire shook his head. 'Not like you, Rose. Not...' He trailed off and shook his head. He stared at the ground. 'Just a friend,' he mumbled. 'But I'm hoping that if... when she remembers me, I can bring you, both of you, back with me, if it will work that way. If it will let me.'

'So what do we do?' she asked.

'We wait. We wait for her to remember. But if you two are to come with me, we ought to be in physical contact. That would increase the chances of all of us returning.'

'Do you really think so?' At that query, Rose looked down at the origin of the voice and then back up.

'I'm with him,' she said. 'You said it's based on memory. What does physical contact have to do with it?'

'Nothing,' said Rose's Doctor. 'It would mean telepathic connection.' He winced. 'Piggy-back on your memories? That's dicey at best.'

The visitor shrugged. 'She remembers me, I remember you. Best case scenario-it takes all of us. On the other hand, it could just take me. Worst case scenario-I am left here as well or simply wink out of existence.'

Rose's Doctor grinned. 'One in three chance? I'll take those odds any day.'

'So will I,' said Rose, but then she suddenly stilled. 'Where's the Tardis?' As she said the words, she could feel the hand holding hers suddenly tense.

The visitor looked away. 'It's at the heart of the... problem. But if all goes well, it should be waiting for us when we get back, no worse for wear.'

'What do you mean, the heart of the problem?' she protested.

'Rose, I know it may be hard after what I did to you two, but I need you to trust me,' he answered. He looked at her steadily. 'If we get back, the Tardis will be fine. If we, or I, don't, it won't matter anyway. Now, I don't know when Amy will remember us, if she does, but in relative time, it should be soon if I've played my cards right. You two have been here for a little more than one year, yes?' At their combined nod, he continued. 'So I suggest that we both climb up here on this bed. Physical contact may help. You never know.'

Rose said nothing but lowered the railing on her side of the bed and clambered on. With three of them, it was a tight fit, but Yvonne came forward and raised the railings again so that Rose and the visitor could relax without fear of falling off.

'Now,' said the Doctor in the tweed jacket, 'I'm only going to touch your minds lightly. Don't worry, Rose, I'm not going to go in deeply. Just enough so that our thoughts are connected superficially. You shouldn't really notice anything. Hopefully this will be enough.'

The Doctor was true to his word. When he touched his fingers to the side of her face, all Rose felt was a hint of a gentle presence in her mind. When it was her Doctor's turn, he sighed slightly and closed his eyes. She laid her head on his shoulder and took his hand.

'Yvonne,' she said softly.

'Yes,' Yvonne answered. She leaned over the bed.

'If this works, and I am gone, tell my parents I love them. Tell them... tell them, "Thanks for everything," all right?'

'Consider it done.' Yvonne stepped back from the bed and suddenly turned her head. 'Rose, the distortion is back. Same place.' She looked back at them. 'Good luck, all of you.'

The other Doctor reached across and clasped Rose's arm. Like her, he too laid his head against the tenth Doctor's shoulder. 'Good luck,' he whispered.

The bed jerked suddenly, and Rose realized that Yvonne had pushed it towards the wall. She only had enough time to notice the vibrations of the wheels turning. And then the world went white.

_To be continued_


	2. Names and Faces

The ground was cold, hard, smooth and, Rose suddenly realized, see-through. The next thing she felt were some very familiar vibrations. A rhythmic hum murmured in the background.

'The Tardis,' her Doctor said softly, his eyes wide in wonder. Then he raised an arm and touched the back of his head. 'Ow.' He blinked. 'Bright.'

The other Doctor was already on his feet and flipping switches, twirling knobs and muttering to himself. 'Yes, yes. The garden. Exactly. But that isn't where she would be now. No. The hall.' Abruptly he turned to face them. 'Ah, the Tardis. A bit different from what you remember, I imagine?'

'A bit?' echoed Rose in disbelief as she clambered to her feet. She looked around her and up to the soaring ceiling. 'It sounds the same, though. She is the same, isn't she?'

'Oh, yes!' her Doctor responded, his eyes glowing with eagerness. 'She's the same.' He struggled to sit up. 'Ow. Shame the bed didn't get remembered too.'

'Never mind,' said the tweed Doctor. 'Important thing is, I need to make an appearance, and I'd like to do it in style. A little vindication for a young girl's imaginary friend, we might say. But you two need to stay here, if you don't mind. Rose, help me get him to the infirmary.'

'We're back,' whispered Rose as they helped her Doctor to his feet. 'We're back. You can live!' She stood on tip-toes and kissed his cheek. He grinned, eyes shining.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

There was something crystalline about this new Tardis, Rose thought as she looked around her. All glass and gold, with bright lights shining. As odd as it was, it didn't seem quite as... _alien_ as before.

'He looks good in a tux,' her Doctor commented. He lay swathed in blankets on the infirmary bed.

'Yeah,' said Rose. 'Why didn't you ever wear one? I bet you'd have looked dashing.'

'I did,' he said, with a slightly injured air. 'When we first found your dad's universe, remember?'

'Oh,' she said, thinking. 'Right. But we were serving staff. That's different. You should wear it more.'

'I did. You weren't around to see it.' He looked up at the ceiling. 'It should be around here somewhere. Or perhaps that's what he's wearing now. It is his, you know.'

'Never mind that,' she said. 'How d'you feel?'

'I'm not quite sure,' he responded. 'Odd. Though, is it just me or is it hot in here?'

She shrugged. 'Feels all right to me. All right for the Tardis, that is. You always kept it a bit chilly.'

'Chilly?' he asked absently as he gazed at the ceiling. 'She's changed quite a bit.'

'Sorry?'

'The Tardis. I don't mean the heat. Just her... how she looks. It's the third time now. Third time she's changed this much. She never used to. Much.'

Rose laid the back of her hand gently to his forehead. It seemed rather warm. 'Can you feel her-the Tardis, I mean?'

'Oh, yes!' he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

'I love it when you're this happy,' she said. 'You have such a goofy smile.'

'I've missed her,' he murmured. 'It feels good to be back. No. Better than good. It's... it's...' he floundered.

'What? You-at a loss for words?'

'Seems so. Hm!' Still smiling, he closed his eyes.

Rose leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. 'Relax then, yeah? I want to look around a bit. The other Doctor's been gone a long time. He could've returned. We'd never know it tucked back here.'

The Doctor nodded, his eyes still closed, and so she left.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Wandering around the corridors felt no different to Rose. She easily found her way back to the console room. No one was there. Slowly she walked around the console, seeing a few old familiar controls and spying many new ones. She trailed her hand lightly over the surface, careful not to move anything. She had become familiar with the old layout, but here she felt like an interloper.

A suspended flight of stairs stretched up behind her. It felt odd climbing steps in the console room itself. When she reached the top, she leaned over the low wall and looked down into the centre. It seemed bigger than before, or perhaps it was the absence of the coral struts that left the room open. Staircases spun off in all directions, almost inviting more movement, more people to dash in and out.

Slowly, she descended the stairs. This new room was beautiful, big, golden and intriguing, but she missed the coral. The Tardis seemed cozier then, just with her and the Doctor. As she reached the bottom, she heard the familiar sound of the key in the lock. She darted back up the stairs and out of sight as the current Tardis team entered.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The Doctor was awake when she returned to the infirmary.

'The others back yet?' he asked.

Rose nodded.

'Did you see them?'

She shook her head and looked down at the floor.

'Hey,' he said softly. 'What's wrong?' He held out a hand. 'Are you missing your parents? What a silly question. Of course you are.'

Rose came to the bed and took his hand. He caressed her fingers with his thumb. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you had to leave them,' he said. 'I never wanted that.'

'I know you didn't,' she said. 'It's not that. I mean, I know I'll miss them, but it's not that now. I made my decision long ago. Oh, it's just stupid.'

'What? What is it?'

Rose ran her free hand through her hair. 'It's just so silly. I wanted to see the Tardis again. I thought it was gonna be like coming home. I didn't know she'd changed too. She didn't when you regenerated before.'

'She doesn't always,' he said.

'I know. You said. But here we are. She sounds the same-well, mostly-but doesn't look the same, doesn't feel the same. I don't belong here. This is someone else's place now-the Doctor's, but I don't know him any more. He feels more different this time. And this Amy. It's her Tardis, not mine.'

The Doctor was silent. Slowly, he pulled her closer and obediently she sat down on a stool by the bed. She leaned over and laid her head on his chest. He wound his fingers through her hair and gently stroked it. The feel of his fingers was soothing.

'The Tardis still feels familiar to you,' Rose murmured after a while. 'You feel like you've come home, yeah? You've looked so happy since we got here.'

'Yeah,' he said. 'It doesn't matter what she looks like. I know her. I always know her. I wish... I wish I could give that feeling to you.'

'Never mind,' she whispered. 'I'll get used to it. Anyways, home is where you are, really.'

The Doctor stiffened. 'Our current home has just moved. Odd. Haven't felt _that_ for a while. He's taking us somewhere. In time, too. Can you feel it?'

'A bit,' admitted Rose. 'I can feel you more. You feel like a furnace.'

He relaxed. 'We're just passengers, you and I,' he mused. 'That's something I'll have to get used to. Gosh. Me a passenger. Who would have thought.'

He lapsed into silence then and continued to stroke her hair languidly. Rose sighed and closed her eyes.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Rose and the Doctor hadn't moved by the time the others made their way to the infirmary.

'Oo-er,' the new Doctor said. 'That doesn't look very comfortable.'

Rose sat up slowly and blinked. Her Doctor opened his eyes and smiled.

'Amy, Rory, this is Rose,' said the new Doctor. 'She used to travel with me, rather like you do now.'

'Hi there,' said Rose.

'Hello,' said Amy. Rory smiled and gave a quick wave.

'And this is... Well, this is the Doctor. Another Doctor.' He paused and looked over at the bed. 'What do I call you? My... brother? Twin? Er... son?'

'_Not_ son,' Rose's Doctor said firmly. 'We're the same age... well, experientially that is. Brother. I like brother. Or twin.'

Amy crossed her arms. 'You don't know? And you've got the same name? What's with that? Is this a Time Lord thing? You don't look like twins.'

'Ooh, I like that!' he responded. 'You should have seen us before I left the Tardis. He looked just like me then.'

Amy scowled. 'Doctor, what is he talking about?'

'What I mean is...'

'I'm not talking to you,' said Amy fiercely. She turned her back on him. 'Doctor, my Doctor... God, we're going to have to give this other one a name. I'm not calling him Doctor.'

'Hey,' said Rose. 'I'm not calling him anything but. You hear?'

'Amy,' said the tweed Doctor hastily. 'Names might be a bit difficult. You see, we are actually the same person.'

Silence fell.

'Come again?' said Rory. His gaze darted between the two Doctors, to Amy, to Rose and back to the new Doctor. His Doctor. 'Er...'

'Time Lord-Human metacrisis,' said Rose's Doctor and he waved his hand casually. 'I was duplicated from his ha... genetic material with some human DNA thrown in. Duplicate memories, body, but I'm partly human. Long story. Very improbable, but there you are. Things are always more interesting when they're improbable, don't you think?'

Amy blinked and then scowled. Rory looked at her. 'Then why,' she asked slowly, 'do you, Doctor, not look like him now? What does he mean by that?'

'Ahh,' said Rose's Doctor. 'You haven't told her about regeneration. Oho! This is going to be good.'

Amy's Doctor rounded on his twin and waggled his finger. 'Hush... you. I'm thinking.'

'You don't need to think,' said Rose. She too crossed her arms. 'Just tell her. You never told me. Believe me, you'd be doing her a favour. Tell her, or I will.'

'Doctor?' said Amy, her voice rising. Her glance darted between her Doctor and Rose.

The Doctor looked at Rose over by the bed and then at Amy. 'Ah, well, you see, it's like this. If there is sufficient damage to my cellular structure that necessitates-'

Rose snorted. 'If he's hurt enough,' she said, 'that he's gonna die, he changes to a new body. Problem solved.'

Rory gulped. 'That... that would be convenient.'

Amy's eyes narrowed. 'Like a snake? You're telling me he peels off his own body and steps out in a new one?' She backed away from the Doctor. 'This is wierd.'

'No,' protested the Doctor. 'No snakes. I can assure you. No snakes.'

'No,' said Rose. 'He just sort of changes. With a lot of light. In a rush.'

Amy eyed her Doctor warily. 'All right. For now. So... if you changed, why didn't he change?'

'The Human DNA,' said Rose's Doctor. 'It bollocksed the mix. Can't regenerate. A shame really. You're right, Rory-is it?- it's quite handy. I'd like to still have it. Mind you, I think Rose might have something to say about that.'

Rose took his hand and held it. 'Yeah, I would. No more changing, thanks.'

'Enough,' Amy said. 'You can't change. But you-' She wheeled around and pointed to her Doctor. '-can. Enough. Got it.' She shook her head. 'Names. Names. We've got to have a different name for the other one.'

'I'm telling you-' began Rose.

'Just the Doctor,' said both Doctors.

'Nothing else?' queried Rory, looking at Amy nervously. 'We really need something, here.'

'Nothing else,' said Rose.

'Later Doctor; Earlier Doctor?' offered Rory. Amy gave him a withering look. 'First Doctor? Second Doctor?'

'Ha!' said Amy's Doctor. 'Haven't been them for centuries.'

Rose's Doctor sat up, somewhat unsteadily. 'What number are we at now? I think we were at ten when I was created. But you're one step on? Two?'

'Just one,' said the other. 'I'm at eleven.'

'Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor,' supplied Rory desperately.

'Tenth Doctor... Eleventh Doctor,' mused the tenth Doctor as if rolling the sounds around his tongue. 'Mmmmm... too unwieldy.'

'Ten? Eleven?' said Amy. 'What about that? Short and snappy enough for you?'

The eleventh Doctor perked up. 'You may have something there.'

'I agree. Nice, short and to the point,' said the tenth.

'But we can't call you by numbers,' said Rose, aghast.

'Why not?' asked Eleven. 'You'd always know who you were referring to.'

'Yes,' said Ten. 'And "Doctor" would always be implied, even if no-one said it. There you are. You wouldn't have to call me by anything else. Besides,' and he tilted his head and grinned, 'if a Rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, I think "Ten" would do nicely, although I'm quite sure I don't smell as sweet.'

Amy rolled her eyes.

'Doctor...' said Rose, but she was smiling. Ten smiled back but then shivered and fell back against his pillows. His hair was plastered against his forehead.

Eleven coughed slightly. 'Er, yes, well. Right you are. We've got our names. Is that all right with you, Amy?'

'It'll do,' she said. Then she frowned again and approached the bed. She peered at Ten's face. 'Am I imagining things or are you looking sicker than when we came in?'

'All the excitement of getting new names,' said Ten. 'I'll be all right.'

'I agree with Amy,' said Eleven. 'You don't look at all well.' He pulled out his sonic screwdriver as he approached the bed and began to scan. After a moment he peered at the screwdriver and then back down at his patient. 'Ah!' He looked at the screwdriver again. After a pause, he looked up. 'Oh. Oh dear.'

'What's wrong?' asked Rose.

'As odd as this may sound,' he said, 'I think that he's reacting to this universe.'

'What?' cried Rose. 'He can't live here either?'

'No, no, he should be here. It's rather... Hmmm. Ah...Think of it like this-do you offer a man dying of thirst a glass of water or do you dump him in a swimming pool and hold him under?'

'Oh,' said Rose.

'I gave him the glass of water before we returned, metaphorically speaking, of course. Now we've thrown him in the swimming pool.'

'Is he going to be all right?' asked Rory.

'I'll be fine,' said Ten. 'I just need some time to adjust.'

'Er,' said Amy. 'I get the metaphor, but what is the water supposed to be?'

'This universe's energy,' said Rose. 'It's different.' She turned to Eleven. 'Is it because he's hybrid? Maybe the human part of him was fine, but the Time Lord part wasn't. Now they're unbalanced all over again?' She frowned. 'No. That doesn't make any sense. I'm human and I've been fine all along.'

'Actually, you may have something there,' mused Eleven. 'He may be human as far as his internal organs go, more or less, but his mind, and the rest of him, is mostly Time Lord. His body was trying to adapt with what healthy human DNA he had. However, the Time Lord part couldn't absorb the energy of the other universe and those cells were shutting down. You could say he was starving to death. Although he wasn't really, but he was. So to speak. Now the Time Lord cells are suddenly being called into action, but... after being starved of this universe's energy-'

'He's now in the swimming pool,' said Rose.

'Precisely,' agreed Eleven. 'His body is struggling to make do with the constant stream of this universe's energy while the Time Lord part is trying to recover-in very simplistic terms, that is. Put it another way-the Time Lord cells are being choked, overloaded, before they can re-adapt. It's compounding the problem. The question is-'

'Why weren't you affected-either of you, both of you-when we first found the other universe?' Rose asked.

'Pure Time-Lord?' suggested Ten. 'No genetic conflict? We might have, though, if he, I, had stayed longer. Hard to say.'

Eleven nodded. 'I'm afraid, Rose, that your Doctor is a walking anomaly. Human-Time Lord metacrisis is, well, it's never happened before. He's lucky. It's an unstable, unprecedented thing. There is no telling what balances and checks go on in him at a genetic level every day. It would be fascinating to study...'

'Oi!' protested Ten. 'I had enough of that in the other universe, thank you very much. By humans who had no idea what they were doing.'

'Yeah,' said Rose. 'Don't go there.'

'I wouldn't,' said Eleven. 'Not without your permission. It would be fascinating though.' He peered closely at Ten. 'You must have lost your time sense.'

'Yeah,' said Ten and he winced. 'Now... it seems all over the place.'

'I'm not surprised,' said Eleven. 'You're going to be pretty clumsy.'

'Dizzy,' murmured Ten. He waved his hand slightly in front of his face as if fascinated. Then his arm dropped to the bed and he clutched the edge of the mattress.

'Doctor,' said Amy, 'am I the only one here who isn't caught up in all of your fond memories and speculation? He's sick and you lot are still blathering. A little less talk and more action, I'm thinking.'

'You're right,' said Eleven. 'You're absolutely right. Hmmm.'

'I'm not caught up in it,' said Rory. 'How do you kick-start a Time Lord's cells anyway?'

Rose shook her head. 'I don't know,' she said miserably. 'I thought coming back here would fix everything. I should've learned by now it doesn't work like that.' She hung her head.

'Hey,' said Eleven. 'Come here, you.' He gathered Rose in his arms and hugged her. 'I'm going to do everything I can. No need to give up yet.'

Rose nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. From his bed, Ten watched them and then slowly closed his eyes.

After a moment, Eleven abruptly straightened and let go of Rose. 'That's it!' he cried.

'That's what?' asked Amy.

'Rory,' said Eleven, 'you're a genius.' He took out the sonic screwdriver and scanned himself. He then crossed over to the bed and scanned Ten. Ten did not stir.

'I am?' asked Rory. He straightened.

'You are. Absolutely!' said Eleven, peering at the screwdriver. 'That's it. Ha ha! We have a plan.' He tossed the screwdriver to Amy and handed Rory the stool. 'Carry those, would you?' He swept the blankets off Ten.

Rose touched Ten's face. 'Doctor, wake up. I think we're moving you.'

There was no answer. 'Doctor?' she said again. She shook him gently by the shoulders. 'Doctor!'

'I'm sorry, Rose,' said Eleven. 'He's not asleep. He's unconscious.' With one swift move, he lifted Ten easily and carried him in his arms. 'Come on,' he said and strode out of the infirmary.

_To be continued_


	3. Adrift in the Vortex

**Chapter 3:** _Adrift in the Vortex_

Rose followed the others. She could see Ten's head resting against Eleven's shoulder, his darker hair brushing against Eleven's lighter brown mop. The room opened up large and golden before them. Amy and Rory swarmed around the console at ease, but Rose had to watch her step on the unfamiliar stairs. By the time she reached the centre, Eleven had already nudged a control with his elbow, careful not to jostle Ten.

'What are we doing here?' asked Amy.

Rose looked alarmed. 'You're not going to get him to look into the heart of the Tardis, are you?'

'No, no!' said Eleven. 'That wouldn't do at all.' He turned carefully, still cradling Ten. 'Rory, bring that stool over here, would you? Right here. Closer. Yes. That's it. Cheers.' Gently, he deposited Ten on the stool. 'Hold him up?'

Rory and Rose moved in on each side and held him.

'Good. Now, Amy, the screwdriver.' Eleven caught it and leaned over the console. Rapidly, he twisted knobs and pulled levers. Suddenly he dove under the console, pulled out cables and rerouted them. 'With a bit of jiggery-pokery, if she'll let me...' Standing back up, he held the screwdriver against an odd object embedded in the console.

'I remember that thing,' said Rose. 'It was in the Tardis I knew.'

'It never changes,' said Eleven absently. Something clicked, and he very gently eased it open. It revealed a space that lay under the glass top. Rose craned her neck and peered down into it.

'What is it,' she asked.

'The Briode Nebuliser,' Eleven said. 'Now, lay him on the console. I need his hand.'

Between them, Rose and Rory shifted Ten so that he half sat on the stool and half lay, his upper body slumped over the console and his head turned with his right cheek against the glass.

'That's it,' said Eleven. Carefully he took Ten's left arm and eased his hand into the cavity. 'Step back,' he advised.

As soon as the hand was fully in, the cover snapped back over it and the wrist. Rose and Rory started. Amy stared from behind them. The cover molded itself to fit snugly.

'What is it doing,' fretted Rose.

'Kick-starting his cells, if we're lucky,' murmured Eleven. 'It's reading him first.'

Silence fell. Nothing happened at first, but as they watched, Rose could gradually feel the background vibration of the Tardis shift slightly.

'Did you-' she began.

'Shhh!' whispered Eleven.

Rose closed her mouth. The vibration became stronger, and she noticed Rory and Amy looking down at the glass beneath their feet. Eleven's gaze was still fixed on Ten.

The time rotor roared to life, and the Tardis lurched. They all stumbled, and Ten's body, still held by his hand stuck in the device, shifted and jammed against the controls on the console.

'What's it doing?' cried Amy as she clung onto the railing behind her. The familiar sound of the Tardis dematerializing surrounded them.

'She's going into the vortex!' shouted Eleven, his eyes wide. 'I didn't expect that.'

'Well, stop it!' Amy said, still clinging to the rail.

'She knows what she's doing, doesn't she?' asked Rose as she held on to the edge of the console. The Tardis lurched in a different direction and she was flung onto her back. Clambering back up, she peered at Ten. His eyes were still closed. Was it her imagination, Rose thought, or was there a slight frown?

'I think so,' gasped Eleven. He reached over as best he could over the juddering surface and pounded his hand down on a large button, but a spark of energy shot out and he snatched it back. 'She thinks so, at any rate.' He shook his hand up and down to cool it.

Suddenly the noise quietened and the Tardis calmed.

'Where are we?' asked Rory.

Eleven flexed his hand. 'We're in the Time Vortex. Floating.'

'But how is that going to help the Doctor,' asked Rose. 'He doesn't need more energy.'

'I don't know,' murmured Eleven. 'But I trust her. She doesn't often take action on her own like this, but each time she has, there has always been a reason.'

'As long as he doesn't become an egg,' said Rose. Amy and Rory looked at her and then each other.

'He's not Slitheen,' said Eleven. He circled back around the console to where Ten lay. 'I wouldn't worry about that.' He hovered the screwdriver over Ten's hand and let it whir.

'Something's wrong,' said Rose. 'He's frowning.'

'Wait,' said Eleven. He pocketed the screwdriver. 'Wait.'

A few minutes passed. Ten's frown deepened and then they could all hear a soft gasp.

'Doctor-' began Rose, but she was cut off.

Ten suddenly jerked, as if trying to pull his arm free. At the same time, wispy tendrils of soft blue energy flowed out of the device and wreathed themselves up his arm. Before anyone could move, the blue light streamed over his whole body, flickering and twisting.

Ten screamed.

'Doctor, do something,' cried Rose. She launched herself at Ten, but Eleven caught her, his arm around her waist, and held her tight.

'Stay back,' he shouted. 'He might survive that, but you wouldn't.'

Rose clawed at the air, but Eleven held her in an iron grip. She could still see Ten, and his face was contorted, his back arched.

'It's hurting him,' she sobbed.

'I know,' said Eleven, strained. 'I know. I'm sorry.'

But then the energy dissipated as quickly as it came, and Ten's body slumped once more.

In the stunned silence that followed, they all heard the soft click as the device released and the covering withdrew from Ten's hand.

Rose twisted out of Eleven's grip and he let her go. Trembling, she caressed Ten's cheek. It felt cool, but her fingers tingled from the touch as if his skin were slightly charged. She fumbled at his neck and found his heartbeat. It was a little fast but strong. She could hear the sonic screwdriver whirring from behind her and then, after a pause, Eleven leaned forward, his face next to hers.

'He's all right,' he whispered. 'He's all right, Rose. Or he will be.'

Very gently, as if with a child, Eleven wound his arms around Ten and lifted him away from the console and upright, still on the stool.

At Eleven's touch, Ten's eyes opened. He looked about him wildly and then shuddered. 'I... I...' he said brokenly. 'I can't...' He began to shake.

'I know,' said Eleven softly. 'I know.'

He lifted Ten off the stool, but as Ten clutched at him, he overbalanced and they half fell, half knelt on the floor. Eleven inched backwards until his back was against the under-column of the console, and he pulled Ten towards him so that Ten's right side was against his chest, and Ten's head was bowed under his chin. Their legs sprawled out over the floor. Eleven reached up with one hand and touched his fingers to the side of Ten's face.

'I thought so,' he whispered and withdrew his hand. 'I'm sorry.'

Ten shuddered, and Eleven tightened his arms around him. 'I've got you,' he said. 'I've got you. Listen to my voice. Find your way out.'

Rose knelt, and Amy and Rory hovered uncertainly behind her. 'What happened,' she asked.

Eleven's voice was hushed, almost reverent. 'She showed him the Time Vortex. She showed him the Vortex and filled him with artron energy.'

'But I thought that was fatal,' said Rose. 'Didn't that make you regenerate on the Game Station?'

He rocked Ten slightly. 'No. That was the full energy from the heart of the Tardis. That kills. Artron energy-you know that, Rose-all of you have it. It's part of the background radiation in time travel. Beneficial, actually, but usually doesn't come in the amount he just had.'

Rose scrambled forward so she sat next to him. She took Ten's hand and held it between her own. 'But the Time Vortex... Why?'

Eleven shook his head. 'I'm not sure. I was hoping that using the Rassilon Imprimatur as a guide to help the Tardis retrain his Time-Lord cells using my stored pattern would help revive him. Clearly she didn't think it was enough.'

Ten opened his eyes, but didn't make a sound. His eyes wide, but face slack, he stared off into the distance.

'Doctor?' whispered Rose. He didn't respond.

'What does showing the Time Vortex do?' asked Rory. 'He doesn't look all right.'

Eleven shuddered. 'Time Lord children are shown it for a very brief time during their initiation.'

'You didn't like it?' asked Amy.

'Yeah,' admitted Eleven. 'I only caught a glimpse. That was enough. But he...' and he looked down at Ten almost tenderly, 'he saw it fully. More than I ever have.'

'But...' began Rory.

'You talked about kick-starting his cells, Rory,' said Eleven. 'The Tardis has just done that, but not just physically. Mentally, too-a lot bigger kick than I had planned.'

'Why?' asked Rose resentfully. 'Why so much? Does she hate him for being part-human?'

Eleven looked at her, shocked. He tightened his hold on Ten. 'No, no, no. Nothing of the sort,' he said. 'Rather the reverse. I think she's very fond of him. She's glad to have him back, and wanted the best for him.'

Amy gestured at Ten's face. 'How is that better?'

'It's better. He'll need time to adjust-seeing the Time Vortex directly, unprotected, is a big event in any Time Lord's life-but the Tardis obviously decided to heal mind and body together.'

'There was nothing wrong with his mind,' protested Rose.

Eleven shook his head. 'He's not damaged. I need you to trust me. Trust the Tardis. His cells had closed down, his time-sense damaged. He was dying. Forcing the cells to rejuvenate like that maybe saved him, but... It's as I said before. A human-Time Lord hybrid... The Tardis chose to retrain body and mind together, to accept his Time-Lord heritage.'

'So he can change bodies again?' asked Amy.

'No,' said Eleven softly. 'He is still partly human. Those checks and balances will continue, but he will be more stable. With you, Rose, and with the Tardis, he will have had the best grounding in both worlds. What a teacher he could be-a bridge, for all of us.'

Rose felt the hand in hers grip. She looked up and saw Ten's eyes gazing at her.

'Doctor?' she whispered.

He smiled briefly, but then his eyes closed.

'He looked at me,' she said.

'Right,' said Eleven. 'Let's get him back to bed.'

But when they had settled Ten in the infirmary once more, Eleven turned to Rose. 'You too. He will need someone with him tonight. Hold him. Let him know he's not alone.'

Rose nodded mutely. She pulled off her shoes and jacket and climbed in under the covers behind Ten who was curled on his side. As she wound her arm around his waist and held him close, she shot Eleven a look over her shoulder.

'I hope you're right about all of this.'

But before he could answer, she turned her head back, closed her eyes, and rested her forehead against Ten's hair. From behind her, she could hear Eleven sigh and then footsteps fade away.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Rose found the other three talking in the Console Room. She yawned as she climbed the short set of steps.

'Morning,' said Amy. 'How's Ten?'

Rose hesitated. 'I... I don't know. He slept all night. He's awake now, but staring at the ceiling.'

Eleven nodded. 'That's to be expected. Can't think someone is going to shrug off having the universe poured into his head overnight, can you.'

Rory blinked. 'Wow,' he said. 'The whole universe?'

'Pretty much,' said Eleven. 'Give him time. Time... Wonderful thing is time. Cures all ills. Causes them too, but that's a different story. Right! In the meantime,' he said as he pulled down a lever on the console, 'I suggest we stop somewhere to refuel, restock and give some of us some time to relax. Amy and Rory here haven't even had their honeymoon yet, and from what I understand of human mating rituals, that's simply deplorable.'

'Doctor...' said Amy. Rory grinned.

'What... You two are married?' asked Rose. 'Really?'

'We are,' said Rory proudly. 'Yesterday.'

'And so,' said Eleven, 'I want you two to choose a place you would like to go. I can drop you off. It seems that someone wants me on the Orient Express and I've promised I'd go. But, Rose, Ten could do with being away from the Time Vortex for a bit. He's particularly time-sensitive right now. Until his cells have fully stabilized, I don't want him travelling in the Tardis.'

'Time-sensitive?' asked Rory. He smirked. 'Sounds like a post-dated cheque.'

Around them, the Tardis whined, and then settled with a deep, reverberating thump. Eleven patted the console.

'So you and he will stop here for a bit while I deal with whatever it is they need me for.'

Rose looked towards the doors. 'So where is here?' she asked. 'Anywhere exotic? Warm?' She walked over and opened them. The Roald Dahl Plass stretched out before her. 'Cardiff?' Her shoulders sagged. 'You're joking. What about the Rift? I thought you said he was time-sensitive.'

'He is,' said Eleven, who had come up behind her. 'But there's no Time Vortex here, as such. The Rift is just a single gateway through time and space. A doorway. The energies are quite different. Much simpler. Calmer, especially now. He'll be fine. Besides, when I come back to pick you two up, I'd like to fuel up the Tardis. She's running a bit low. Rebooting the universe does that to one.'

Rose leaned towards him. 'But... Jack will want to see him,' she said in a low voice. 'I don't think he is ready to see people yet.'

Eleven laughed. 'Jack is a bit... much, isn't he.' He smiled gently. 'Don't worry, Rose. He's no longer here. Nor is Torchwood. You two will be left alone. I promise you.'

'He'll be all right?' Rose asked, her voice still low. 'He... he won't talk to me.'

Eleven put his hand on her shoulder. 'He just needs time. Your regular, human, slow time. We haven't moved much at all relative to your life in the other universe. It's June 27, 2010. Although he's over the worst, he is still adapting to the energy here. He's going to be disoriented until then. His sense of time will fluctuate. Until it settles down, things will seem to be going too fast or too slow. Watch out. His reflexes will be clumsy. Don't let him break anything, all right?'

Rose snorted. 'I can't trust him at the best of times. Or you, for that matter.'

Eleven smiled ruefully. 'He will get better. Go and do boring things. It's what he needs. Have lunch in a cafe. See the castle. Watch the trains go by. Just let him be him.'

Rose nodded and began to turn away, but stopped. She looked up at Eleven. 'You will come back for us, yeah? You won't just leave us again, stuck here? I'm dead in this universe, remember?'

Eleven started and took his hand from her shoulder as if it burned him. He didn't speak for a moment.

'You won't, will you?' Rose pressed. 'See, I don't know what to expect from you now.'

Eleven looked away. 'No. I won't leave you.'

Rose looked at him for a long moment and then she retreated back into the Tardis and headed for the infirmary.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Ten was sitting up, legs dangling over the edge of the bed when Eleven came in bearing an armful of clothing.

'Rose...' Ten cleared his throat. 'Rose is finding some clothes for me.' His voice was low, distant.

'I know,' said Eleven. 'But I thought you might like these. I don't wear them any more.'

He spread the clothing out over the end of the bed. Ten touched the brown pinstripe suit and then the blue.

'Either one,' said Eleven. 'They're yours.'

Ten nodded and, with a small smile, gathered the brown suit to him.

'Right you are,' said Eleven. He reached forward and tucked a pair of dark-rimmed glasses in a pocket. 'Do you need help changing?'

Ten shook his head. He fingered the glasses and nodded.

'I'll be outside, then. See you out there.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

They stood outside the doors of the Tardis. Rose could feel a faint mist on her skin from the fountain behind them, and water rushed and burbled at the base.

'You ready?' Rose asked. She looked up at Ten.

'Yeah,' he said. They stepped off the stone slabs and onto the Plass. He shivered.

'Half a tick,' said Eleven from the doorway. He came forward and shook out a bundle. 'I think you might need this.'

'Your coat,' said Rose. She grinned. 'Really? You don't use it any more?'

Eleven shook his head. 'I'd rather see Ten wearing it.'

Ten said nothing but fingered the soft, brown cloth gently, caressingly.

'There are singe marks on it,' said Rose. 'What happened?'

'Er, long story.' Eleven hunched his shoulders. 'I'll tell you sometime. At any rate, they don't show. Much. Come on. Let's see you in it.' He helped Ten into it and, after thinking, reached into Ten's jacket pocket and pulled out the glasses. He slid them onto Ten's face and then stepped back into the doorway. A big grin spread over his face. 'Oh, yes. That's right. That's... good. Yes.'

'I agree,' said Rose. She took Ten's hand and smiled up at him. 'Come on, handsome. It's time we were off.'

'Rose,' said Eleven, 'take this. You'll need it to get cash. And... you never know.' He handed her a sonic screwdriver. 'It's like the one he, we, had before.'

Rose grinned. She reached up and gave Eleven a peck on the cheek. 'Thanks.' He nodded and disappeared through the doors. She stepped back by Ten's side, and they stood and watched as the Tardis faded from view and air rushed at their faces.

_To be continued_


	4. Comeuppance

**Chapter 4: **_Comeuppance_

They walked slowly. They were in no hurry, and Ten was still unsteady on his feet. The skies were clear and the sun was warm on their faces. Few people were about and it was quiet.

'It feels like a Sunday,' said Rose. 'I bet you it is.'

They didn't need to walk far; there was a cafe on a street just off the Plass. They found a table by the windows, and Rose held Ten's arm as he half fell, half lurched into a seat. She looked around them. 'Isn't this where we had breakfast with Mickey and Jack? Do you remember?' She laughed a little. 'It seems so long ago.'

She ordered a plate of chips for the two of them. 'Not much to start with,' she said with a shrug when it arrived. 'But we can order more if you feel like it, yeah?' She fished around in her pocket and brought out a small handful of coins. 'No need to use the sonic screwdriver just yet. He kept my room just the same. Lucky I still had some money kicking around.'

'I'm not surprised,' said Ten slowly.

'What?' asked Rose. Her hand froze, a chip halfway to her mouth.

Ten blinked, looked away for a moment and then back at her. 'He kept your room just the same.'

She put the chip down.

He looked down at the table. 'I would have.' He absentmindedly toyed with a 20p coin on the table, and then flicked it back toward the rest. It skidded too far and went over the edge of the table with a clatter. He looked startled. Rose picked it up and put it with the others.

She put her hand over his. 'Maybe. But you wouldn't have left him to die in another universe.'

Ten looked at her then, focusing on her face for the first time since the Tardis healed him. 'He didn't know.'

Rose scowled. 'He still abandoned us. Didn't let us choose.'

Ten bowed his head in his hands. 'He couldn't help it,' he said in a muffled voice. 'Please let it go.'

'I'm sorry,' she said. 'You okay?'

He shook his head. Then he raised it and grinned. It was weak, but it was a grin nonetheless.

'Bundle of laughs, aren't I.'

'Laugh a minute, you are,' said Rose. She took his hand again. 'Anything I can do?'

'I can't stop seeing it,' he whispered. His eyes were unfocused again.

'See what?' she asked. 'The Time Vortex?'

He nodded.

'I'm here-I'm listening, if you want,' said Rose.

'No, no,' said Ten. 'I'd just babble.'

'That never stopped you before. I'll listen.'

Ten took a deep breath and blew it out noisily. He fidgeted.

'Go on,' said Rose softly.

'It's beautiful,' he said at last. 'And severe. It's... It's... How can I tell you... how can I make you understand without resorting to cliches? Ahh!' He scraped the fingers of both hands through his hair, running them back and forth, and shook his head. His hair stuck up wildly.

'Use cliches,' said Rose. 'At least you'll have a place to start, yeah?'

He frowned and then closed his eyes tightly. 'Time...' he whispered. 'It faded for me this past year. But now... I feel it, see it so strongly, stronger than I ever had before. So bright. So strong. A stream, path, torrent. But not straight. Never straight and simple. Loops, eddies. Cause and effect. Effect and cause. It's... It's... Time. Time, time, time. You can go forward, you can go backward. Count the years. There's the big path, fixed points pinning it down, but small paths, changes, causality, dancing, dancing in and out, like... like... like... some crazy Maypole. The pole, the pole-it's fixed, sort of. Wobbly, maybe. Kinked. The ribbons, long, short, thin, thick, shining streams of light, weaving, looping, knotted, crashing. Oops! There goes a civilization, just because one person refused to help weave that ribbon. Before, it was vibrant, continued almost forever. Nothing can continue forever, but it would have tried. One path, branching, it continues. Another ribbon, it is destroyed. People lose everything. Lost, alone, despair. All of them. No hope. Other peoples, other worlds still dance: joy, growth, creativity. Good and bad, sorrow, joy all mixed-pounding, pounding in my head.

'If I reach out and touch a ribbon, I feel as if the worlds, emotions will rush at me, fill me. So many people, so many stories. Hate, love, growth, decay... so strong. I can't touch. I know, I know it's there, but I can't touch. If I touch, I'll be pulled in, overwhelmed. And so many ribbons, countless. A universe full, shimmering, shining, crazy in chaos, but so beautiful, intricate.'

He opened his eyes then, blinking, and rubbed his hands over his face, resting his elbows on the table. 'Ohh... What a comeuppance.'

'What do you mean,' asked Rose. She leaned over and curled her fingers around his elbows, anchoring.

He levelled his gaze at her, his pupils dilated, and yet he seemed to look right through her. His eyes were dark, darker than their usual chocolate brown.

'The Time-Lords used to dance among those ribbons, on that path, never touching. Only watching, never affected. I never could, really. I always had to get involved which, I can tell you, made me very unpopular with them. But I could always leave. Leave behind the people who had to cope, the people in the middle of the beauty, the pain, the hope, the terror. But I'd leave. I'd run. Nothing would touch me... well, not touch me for long. And if it did, then off I go on another adventure. Distract myself until time (time!) healed it, or at least dulled it. I had fixed the problem, I'd always tell myself. I'd done what my own sense of morality told me. Fixed the problem. Saved the day. But saving the day isn't enough. Healing people, healing their hurts, their hearts, takes time-time I'd never give. I'd be gone, dancing, dancing among the ribbons, finding my next adventure.'

He stopped then, almost gasping for air. Rose squeezed his arms. 'I'm here,' she said softly. 'Slow down. I'm here.'

'Slow down,' he murmured. His eyes focused, and this time it felt to Rose as if he were looking at her. 'Do you remember the first day I met you? Well, day, that is, after the night in your store?'

'Yeah,' she said.

'I took your hand and told you about the Earth, hurtling around the Sun. We could fly off at any second, flung off by this crazy-fast planet-this tiny, little planet that just won't stop whirling and whizzing around its star? That I felt it all the time, that I could feel it even as I told you about it?'

'I remember,' she said.

'It's always there, always in my mind. But... Oh Rose...,' and here he shook his head slowly, 'the time I've had with you this past year. No more dancing, no more running. Partly human, one heart. Frail. Stuck on the slow path. No escape if things get rough. Frightening. Scary. But you... you were always there. Even in those first six months, uncertain, hurting. But you taught me what it means to be human, to be on a ribbon. To be truly involved. I understand now. And... I was going to die. Me! Die? Unthinkable! But there it was and nothing I could do. No regeneration to save me even though it felt as if it ought to happen. It was missing. It was wrong. I was on the wrong ribbon. Frightening. Overwhelming. But you were there, and you were my anchor. As scared as I was, I knew I was where I ought to be. Time could do what she wanted, leave me behind, but on that slow path, you were there, healing my heart. But then _he_ comes and saves the day. Brings us back. And now I'm going to live again. But off he goes, dancing among the ribbons, another day to save, somewhere, somewhen, somehow. Someone needs to dance, and he's the last true Time-Lord. The only one who really can.'

'Oh, Doctor,' said Rose, and she felt tears prick in her eyes.

'But the Tardis showed me the Time Vortex. I never really saw it as a child. I couldn't handle it. And now... I couldn't look away. She forced me. I trust her. If that's what I needed, that's what I needed. But it's filling me. I can't look away. And now... now I've been human, I understand. I've been human before, but, but not really. Just a glimpse compared to this. I can't just not touch anymore. Universes of streams, paths on paths, stretching, streaming in all directions and impossible contortions, shifted, parallel. Tunnels of streaming, shimmering time. But, I know, I truly know how Time can be so cruel, so kind, so... irrevocable. And... oh dear... I'm sorry, Rose. Those cliches do insist.'

'Don't matter,' said Rose. 'I don't care. But you've got me, you understand? Hold on to me, if it helps. All right?'

He nodded jerkily. 'Yeah. It helps.'

Silence fell. She took his hand and wrapped it in her own. His fingers clutched fitfully around hers. The cafe was empty, and the sole clerk was sitting on a stool, texting on her mobile.

After a long while, Ten shifted a bit and swallowed. 'Thirsty,' he said.

'Too much talking,' Rose teased gently. 'I'll get some water.'

Ten clutched at her hands. 'Don't let go,' he said.

'Only for a moment, okay?' Rose soothed. 'Just a minute. See? The glasses and tap are just over there on that counter. You'll still see me, right?'

He relaxed a tiny bit. 'Yeah. What you must think of me. I've finally done what I should've done as a child, and here I am going to pieces.'

'It's a bit different,' said Rose a little sharply. 'You're still sick. And... and you know more. You've seen more. You understand more.'

Ten said nothing but bowed his head again.

'Just a moment, all right?' said Rose.

'Yeah,' he whispered.

She squeezed his hand and laid it on the table. She got up and crossed the floor, weaving between the empty tables. The clerk looked up absentmindedly, but when she saw Rose take two glasses, she got up slowly, stretched and disappeared into the back.

Rose held the first glass to the spigot, but twisted around so she could keep an eye on Ten. He was watching her, his hands clenching and unclenching. As she watched him, she noticed, through the windows behind him, a dark-haired woman walking by. But when the woman caught sight of Ten, she paused as if in recognition. Then she walked quickly towards the cafe doors.

Warily, Rose started filling the second glass. The doors opened, and the woman entered. She scanned the room and saw him. There was something familiar about her, Rose thought, something tickling at her memory. A baby was nestled against her chest in a carry-sling.

The woman headed for Ten, but Rose swiftly stepped in front of her. 'Can I help you?' she asked.

'No, no,' said the woman in a rich, Welsh accent. 'I just want to see your customer.' She stepped to the side.

Rose followed and once again put herself in front. 'He's not my customer, mate. He's with me. Again, anything I can help you with?'

The woman focused on Rose then. She wavered for a moment, glancing between the two of them. Finally she leaned forward. 'Is... is that the Doctor?' she whispered.

'What if he is,' Rose responded. 'Who are you?'

'I'm Gwen.'

'Gwen?' asked Rose. She shook her head. 'I'm sorry...?'

Gwen took a deep breath and then, as if coming to a decision, she nodded. 'I used to be with Torchwood. Does that mean anything to you?'

Rose stared at her. 'Yeah, it does,' she finally said. 'What d'you want with him?'

'I've come to warn him. He needs to-'

But she was unable to finish her sentence. At that moment, the air was rent with a white, jagged flash. A large, bulky shape towered in the middle of the cafe. Two more white lights exploded in quick succession, and three massive beings moved swiftly to surround Ten who struggled to his feet.

'Doctor,' cried Rose, but as she ran forward, another flash appeared and the alien swiftly pressed the muzzle of its gun against her chest. Behind her, Gwen backed away, crossing her arms over her baby.

'You are the Doctor,' barked the first warrior to appear.

Ten blinked. He clutched the edge of the table, but he managed to stay upright. 'I am,' he said. He looked over at Rose. 'Let her go.'

The soldiers ignored him. 'In accordance with the statutes of the Shadow Proclamation, we lawfully take you into custody pending charges of genocide, treason, aiding and abetting torture and imprisonment, in addition to other and lesser charges which will be revealed to you at the proper time.'

Rose gasped. She looked wildly around her, casting about for ideas, but as she moved, the muzzle pressed harder against her. 'Any attempt to interfere and you will be summarily executed. This is your only warning.'

'Don't move,' shouted Ten. 'Either of you.'

The two soldiers flanking him seized his arms.

'Rose,' he cried, but in another blinding flash he and his captors were gone.

_To be continued_


	5. Curiouser and Curiouser

**Responses to Reviews**

It seems that the review system has changed here since I last published stories and the site no longer shows any replies to reviews. So, from now on, I will be including any responses at the beginning of the next chapter.

**MaryMatthesen: **Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, Rose is protective of her Doctor's identity and heritage, and won't want others to deny him his name.

**Pilcrow: **Thank you!

**"Doctor Who Fan":** I'm glad you liked the Doctor's babbling. I'm rather fond of it myself. As for the Time Vortex, he did look into it very briefly when he had his initiation, but he "ran away". This was discussed in the third season (NewWho) in the "Sound of Drums" episode. Some children became inspired, others were driven mad, and others ran away (the Doctor being one of them). Apparently, he also said (in The End of Time) that he found the experience painful.

**Anonymous: **Thank you! I'm glad you like the interactions between the various characters. I never really thought of Rose going "Sarah Jane" on them, but I can see that. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong> _Curiouser and Curiouser_

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><p>Rose staggered forward. 'Doctor!'<p>

But the cafe was empty once more.

Spots danced in her eyes from the flashes of light of the aliens' transmat. As she blinked hard, trying to clear them, Gwen rushed to her side. 'I was too late,' she gasped. 'Too late. Oh God, I'm so, so sorry.'

Rose rounded on her. 'Where've they taken him? Who were they?' She shook Gwen by the shoulders but remembered the baby and snatched her hands back, breathing hard. 'What've you done?'

'I didn't do anything,' protested Gwen. 'I heard they were coming for him, and he needed to watch out. I knew that if he ever came here, I'd have to warn him.'

'Why?' cried Rose angrily. 'He never did those things they said.'

'I know, I know,' said Gwen. 'But I hear things. Torchwood may be gone, but I hear things.'

Rose dashed over to the table where she and Ten had sat. Ten's chair lay on the floor where it had fallen, but there was no other sign of what had just happened. Her coins and the plate of chips were still there, undisturbed. Gwen joined her silently, and they walked around carefully looking for any subtler signs of the struggle. There were none.

Behind them, the kitchen doors swung open and flapped closed. The clerk leaned over the counter, looking puzzled. 'Any problem out here? I thought I heard shouting.'

Gwen took Rose's arm. 'No problem. Go back to what you were doing.' She turned to Rose and lowered her voice. 'Time to go. Best keep this contained.'

Rose pulled her arm out of Gwen's grip. 'I want to stay here. He might...'

'He's gone,' said Gwen firmly. 'They won't bring him back.'

The clerk frowned. 'What's going on? Do you want me to call the police?'

'That won't be necessary,' said Gwen shortly and turned her back on the clerk. 'We should go,' she said. 'Back to my apartment unless you have somewhere better. Staying here won't help.' She took Rose's arm once more and this time Rose reluctantly allowed herself to be led out of the cafe.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Neither of them spoke as they walked the two blocks to Gwen's jeep. When Gwen unlocked the doors, Rose dropped into the seat, feeling numb. 'He's gone,' she whispered. 'Just like that. He's gone, and I don't even know where they've taken him. I don't even know where to start.'

'But he's the Doctor,' said Gwen as she slid into the driver's seat. 'The way Jack would talk, he could solve any problem. Maybe he can sort this out.'

'No,' said Rose. She slumped over, holding her head in her hands. 'He's sick. He can't deal with this right now.'

'Oh!' said Gwen. 'He... he gets sick?'

With a start, Rose stared at Gwen and then shook her head. 'It's different from you and me. It's... time and space and it's all swirling around his head and he can't think and... you haven't a clue what I'm talking about.'

'Doesn't matter,' said Gwen briskly. 'I know he can travel in time. Sounds like he did a little too much. Something like that?'

Rose gave a short laugh. 'Actually, that's pretty close. Sort of. But he can't get himself out of trouble. You said you used to be in Torchwood. Can you get us back there? Maybe they have something that can help us.'

Gwen shook her head and scowled. 'Torchwood's gone. It was blown up by the government. I have a few things though. For example,' and she brought out her mobile and danced her fingers over the touch pad, 'I was able to preserve a back-up system Tosh-um, a former colleague-had hidden. I can link to... Ah!' She handed the mobile to Rose. 'There you are. That's how I knew you had arrived.' A video played back, showing Rose and Ten stepping off the stonework by the fountain and onto the pavement.

'Where's the Tardis?' asked Rose. She could see herself and Ten watching the fountain and wind suddenly stirring her hair.

Gwen grinned. 'That's the Doctor's ship? It's the perception filter. You can't see what's on that spot you came from.'

'But the Tardis has shown up on CCTV before,' objected Rose.

'The Tardis, maybe, but not whatever's on that stone.' Gwen paused for a moment and then asked, 'It's still there, right? Can you fly it? It must have all sorts of things that can help us.'

'No,' said Rose. 'It isn't there. There are... others on board, and they left.'

'Others?' Gwen looked startled. She leaned forward, hesitated and then asked, 'Is Jack one of them?'

Rose shook her head.

'Ah. I'd have liked... Never mind.' There was a wistful tone to Gwen's voice, but then she shook her head and briskly began keying in something on the mobile.

'You don't know where Jack is?' asked Rose. 'He could help. He knows a lot of stuff.'

'He left,' said Gwen curtly. 'A while ago. I'm sorry, but we're on our own.' She straightened. 'I've reset the alarm to tell us if anyone else appears on that spot. The program can track that and alert us. So if your friends return, we'll know.'

'Thanks,' said Rose. She leaned back against her seat as Gwen started the jeep and pulled away from the curb. 'In the cafe,' she continued, 'you said you wanted to warn the Doctor. You said, "They were coming for him". Who?'

Gwen shook her head. 'I don't know. All I knew was that the Doctor was considered "wanted" for crimes. I've never met him face to face, but Jack thinks highly of him, and I trust Jack. And the Doctor did help us get the Earth back.' She shrugged. 'You heard the rest of it when they came.'

'But how did you-'

Just then an insistent beeping filled the air.

'Hang on,' said Gwen. She pulled over to the side of the road. 'That's the alarm I set. Perhaps your friends have come back.' She picked up the mobile.

'Is that them?' she asked. Three people had stepped away from the base of the fountain. Once again there was no sign of the Tardis.

'Yes,' said Rose. Her shoulders slumped in relief. 'That was quick. I thought they weren't coming back for a few days.'

'They know something's happened,' commented Gwen. 'Look at their body language.'

Rose peered at the screen and nodded. She could see Eleven wielding his sonic screwdriver. Amy and Rory were shielding their eyes from the sun and scanning the area. 'They're looking for me.' She straightened. 'I've gotta go back. You mind?'

'Not at all,' said Gwen. 'Wait... That one...' She pointed to Eleven and touched the screen a few times, bringing up an overlaying colour schematic. Eleven was outlined in green and yellow shades compared to Amy and Rory's oranges and reds. 'He has a different heat signature. Is he alien?'

Rose hesitated. 'You're Torchwood, or you were,' she said slowly. 'Torchwood here doesn't like aliens, yeah?'

'Officially, no,' said Gwen. 'But if they come with peaceful intent and don't hurt, steal or destroy, then I'm fine with that. 'Come on. I can track this alien with my mobile. We'll find him even if he leaves the Plass.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

There was no need to use Gwen's mobile. Eleven, Amy and Rory were all at the cafe. Eleven was scanning the area where Ten and Rose had been sitting, and Amy and Rory were questioning the clerk. As soon as Gwen and Rose entered, all heads turned.

'That's her,' said the clerk.

Eleven simply held out his arms. Rose ran to him and he encircled her, holding her tightly.

'He's gone,' she sobbed. Only now did tears come.

'I know,' he said. His voice was strained. 'I know.' Still holding Rose with one arm, he pulled out a chair. 'Sit down,' he said gently.

Rose sat obediently, vaguely noticing that it was the same chair Ten had sat in. Eleven sat opposite her as the others crowded around.

'Sit down, everyone,' he said. He looked at the clerk who hovered nearby. 'Tea for everyone, I should think.'

'I'll bring it,' said the clerk, 'but I've heard enough. It's high time someone called the police.' She reached out her hand for the telephone that lay on the counter. But Gwen had followed her and she swiftly laid her hand over the phone.

'I am the police,' she said firmly and she flashed a badge. 'Your assistance is no longer required. If we have any questions for you, I will let you know. In the meantime, return to your regular duties.'

The clerk frowned but nodded and she retreated behind the counter. As the sound of cups and saucers rattling began, Gwen pulled a chair from another table and joined the others.

'Tell me what happened,' Eleven said.

Rose told the story. Eleven listened intently. When she finished, he covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently. He looked at Gwen. 'Thank you for helping, Gwen Cooper. Jack spoke highly of his people. I can see why.'

'Sorry?' said Gwen. 'You know Jack?' She looked at Rose and then back at Eleven. 'Actually, we haven't had any introductions here.'

'I was wondering when we'd get around to that,' said Amy. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

'She knows about the Doctor, of course,' said Rose quickly, looking at around the table, 'and she knows that all of you are friends of his.'

Amy's eyebrows rose.

'Ah!' said Eleven. 'Yes. Of course. Good friends, right, Amy and Rory?'

'If you say so,' said Amy.

'Really good friends,' supplied Rory. 'Hi. I'm Rory.'

Gwen smiled at him. 'Got it.' She returned her gaze to Eleven. 'And you?'

'Oh! Ah. Call me Eleven. Keep it simple.'

Gwen frowned. 'Simple compared to what?'

'Oh, well, you couldn't pronounce my real name anyways,' said Eleven airily.

Rose leaned towards Gwen. 'You know-alien and all that,' she whispered.

'I see,' said Gwen. 'Well, the real question is how we are going to get the Doctor back.'

'What I want to know first,' interrupted Rose, 'is how you lot knew where to come and why you're back so early. I'm really glad you are, but...'

'We were told that, er, the Doctor had been taken,' said Eleven. 'Do you remember Martha?'

Rose nodded. 'Yeah.'

'I still have her cell phone. Universal roaming. She called me and, er, after a bit of sorting out, she told me what happened.'

'How did she know?' asked Gwen.

'Apparently UNIT had been informed quite promptly, as a courtesy, since they've had dealings with him in the past.'

'Ah,' said Gwen. Anwen started to wail, and Gwen stood up. 'Excuse me, I need to feed her.' She disappeared into the WC at the back.

'For all I know, they might have contacted Torchwood too if it were still around. Nevertheless,' and Eleven looked around at all of them, 'here we are. We know who has him, and where.'

'We do?' said Rose. Her heart beat fast. 'Where?'

'Actually, they told you themselves. The Shadow Proclamation.'

Rose nodded.

'So,' Rory said, 'that's the name of those soldiers' race?'

Eleven shook his head. 'The Shadow Proclamation isn't a race. It's a governing authority, set up by various races-an intergalactic alliance, if you will-to act as a court of law for major crimes that span more than one planet or time. The people who took Ten were only the footsoldiers or henchmen-the Judoon.'

'Let's go, then!' Rose stood up. 'We've got to get him back.'

Eleven laid his hand on her arm. 'It's not that simple,' he said. He gently pulled her back down into her chair. 'The Shadow Proclamation was set up with the Time Lords' approval and, I suspect, in order to also police the Time Lords themselves-if ever necessary. Not that that has ever happened... until now. At any rate, we can't get in there without their permission. They can detect and stop the Tardis with relatively little difficulty if they're on their guard, which they will be with us now.'

'I don't get it,' interrupted Amy. 'Don't all those races know what you look like now? I mean, you said they were all at the Pandorica. Why did they take Ten?'

Eleven nodded vaguely. 'Yes, well, I took the Pandorica into the heart of the explosion with the Tardis. The Pandorica was at the causal centre of events. Clearly, they were erased. I hadn't had dealings with most of the races since my last regeneration.' He paused and then said, 'And... as for the people behind what's happening now... Rose, Ten has not been kidnapped, as much as it may feel that way to you. As far as I can tell, he has been arrested with legal authority.'

'Oh,' said Rose crestfallen. 'What can we do?'

'We go there.'

'I thought you said...' began Rory.

'They have invited us,' said Eleven. 'There is a preliminary hearing to establish procedure and confirm the identity of all participants. According to Martha, any current or past friends of the Doctor have immunity to attend any and all proceedings. But, and I'm so sorry, Rose, I'm quite sure we won't be allowed to have any contact with him.'

Rose bowed her head. When she spoke, her voice quavered. 'He didn't do the things they said. He didn't!'

At that moment, Gwen returned to the table, Anwen once more nestled in her sling.

'Perhaps not,' said Eleven. 'But for now, all we can do is go and find out why these charges are being brought against him. Who the people are behind this.' He looked at Gwen. 'If you want to come with us, you would be welcome.'

Gwen smiled but shook her head. She laid her hand gently on her baby's head. 'At another time in my life, I would, but now I have my daughter, I don't take risks. But thank you. I hope you can get the Doctor back. I would really like to meet him properly some day.'

Eleven rested his chin in his hand. 'Tell me something. How did you find out that the Doctor was wanted?'

Gwen straightened uneasily. 'I hear things,' she said.

Eleven gazed intently at her. 'I would really like to know. You can tell me. I'm th... It would be very helpful.'

Gwen hunched her shoulders. After a moment, she said, 'It was this man-Jack knows him. We've had dealings with him in the past. He calls himself Captain John Hart. He seemed to think the manhunt was quite funny and wanted to tell Jack himself. But he hasn't been able to find him. So he gloated about it to me instead. Just came, gloated and left.'

'This Captain John, who is he?'

'A time agent, like Jack. But nothing like Jack. We've had nothing but trouble with him.'

'A time agent...' mused Eleven. 'Curiouser and curiouser. The plot thickens.' He stood up abruptly. 'Time to be off, all.'

As the rest of them stood up, they saw the clerk approaching with a tray laden with teapots and cups.

'Just put that into takeaway, there's a dear,' said Amy. The clerk scowled but complied.

'I don't have any more money,' said Rose. She looked at the others. 'Do you?'

'I'll get it,' said Gwen. 'You lot just go.'

'Thanks,' said Rory.

As they approached the doors, the clerk handed over the tea, and Gwen left some money on the counter.

The walk back to the Plass was brief. As the others went inside, Rose hugged Gwen, mindful of Anwen nestled in the sling between them.

'Thank you,' she said, but a lump in her throat stopped any further words.

'Go and get him back,' said Gwen. 'And if you need anything that I can do, I'll be here. At least for the next week. After that, I don't know. But until then, I'll know when you return. I'll keep that program running.'

Rose nodded mutely. She turned and went into the Tardis.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'If you don't mind, Rose,' said Eleven as he twiddled with the controls aboard the Tardis, 'we are going to make one brief stop before we go to the hearing.'

'Where,' she asked. She sat down on the jump seat and slowly slid one foot over the shining glass floor.

'London,' said Eleven as he pulled down a lever.

The Tardis wheezed briefly and landed.

'What's in London?' asked Rose.

'Martha,' said Eleven. 'She wants to come with us. She's also quite upset and wants to find out what the charges are for. Besides, UNIT wants to know too and are sending her as their representative.'

'And that's okay with you?' Rose asked.

'UNIT's all right,' said Eleven. 'They can be a pain at times, but they're not Torchwood. Besides, she is a qualified doctor and might come in handy if we can convince the Proclamation to allow access to Ten. Probably not, but it's always worth a try.'

He ran down the steps and flung open the doors.

'You took your own sweet time getting here,' said a voice, bright and confident. Martha stepped in and stopped in shock. 'Blimey! You said you'd changed, but... but look at you! And the Tardis! You don't do things half measures, that's for sure.'

'No, not really,' said Eleven. He grinned and gathered her in a hug. 'Martha Jones,' he said.

'Oh Doctor, it's so good to see you,' Martha whispered. 'Although it's going to take some getting used to with this new face of yours.'

Eleven disengaged himself from the embrace. 'No time for pleasantries, I'm afraid. We must be off.'

'Quite right,' said Martha, business-like. She followed Eleven up the steps and spied Rose. Immediately she sat down beside her. As Eleven sent the Tardis into the Time Vortex once more, Martha turned to her. 'The Doctor told me about your Doctor and about the two of you-just the basics!' she added at the look on Rose's face. 'I know you've both just returned, and that he's trying to recover from... from some time-space thing that I don't really understand.'

Rose nodded.

'I gather that you are also really only seeing the Doctor, this Doctor, for the first time since we were all together in the Dalek crucible. So we're both getting used to this new face together?'

'I saw him change once before,' said Rose. 'It feels different this time. I don't know. Stranger, but easier.'

'Strange is right,' said Martha. She shook her head. 'I can tell it's him, somehow. But...' She looked around her and whistled. 'Fancy!' She looked back at Rose. 'Doesn't he have new companions? He said something...'

'Amy and Rory,' said Rose. 'They're off somewhere unpacking from their honeymoon-on a cruise that landed in a part of the Christmas Carol, as far as I can make out.' She shrugged.

'But your Doctor,' said Martha in a low voice, 'he's the clone, right? He still looks like the Doctor you and I know? Sounds like him?'

'He _is_ him,' said Rose. She looked away.

'I'm sorry,' said Martha. 'Of course he is. Same memories, everything. I remember. We're going to get him back, you hear?'

'Yes, we are,' said Eleven. 'And we're here. Time to find out what's really going on. Come on.'

Martha and Rose followed him down the steps.

Rose looked back. 'What about Amy and Rory,' she asked.

'I've asked them to stay in the Tardis,' said Eleven. He paused before the doors. 'Their honeymoon was a bit interrupted, and not by you, I might add. This will given them a bit of quiet time. They wanted to come and, well, never mind Amy. I think she's become rather fond of Ten, actually. However, I thought you might prefer fewer people around.'

'Thank you,' said Rose, gratefully.

Eleven opened the doors. As they emerged from the Tardis, a roar went up from around them. Crowds, held back by plexiglass partitions, surged and jostled. Beings from countless races stared at them and devices of all kinds whirred, clicked and recorded.

'So, not fewer people,' said Rose.

'Good heavens,' said Eleven. 'What is this?'

A small delegation approached.

'We're family and friends of the accused,' whispered Martha. 'I think we've become celebrities by association.'

'That was quick,' said Eleven. 'It's only been a few days.'

'A few hours,' said Rose.

'Er, no, sorry,' he said. 'We jumped ahead three days. I didn't want you to have to wait.'

'But that means he's already waited three days,' whispered Rose. 'Sick, with that time vortex in his head...'

Her words went unnoticed, for at that moment, the delegation reached them. A human clerk flanked by two Judoon stood in front of them.

'My name is Panossian, and I am the court liaison,' said the woman. 'I will be your contact during this trial. I do apologize for the reception, but as I am sure you understand, this is no ordinary trial.'

'No, I don't understand,' burst out Rose angrily. 'Why those crowds? This isn't some circus entertainment!'

Eleven put his hand on her shoulder. 'Rose,' he said quietly.

Panossian stiffened. 'This is the trial of the last Time Lord,' she said severely. 'They are legends throughout the universe, as you ought to be aware since you have travelled with him. I assure you, this is no "circus entertainment" as you so charmingly put it. It is quite a serious matter, and these people here, many of them, have had dealings with the Doctor. The others are reporters, of course, who will tell their worlds of the justice served here, no matter how it might turn out.' She turned abruptly on one heel. 'Please follow me.'

'Be careful of what you say, Rose,' whispered Eleven. 'They can be a little touchy, this lot.'

Rose scowled but remained silent. The liaison led them past the crowds and down a long, high-ceilinged corridor. At the end, she pushed open double doors and led them through to the court room.

_To be continued_


	6. Who's Who?

**Chapter 6:** _Who's Who?_

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><p>Rose's first impression was of darkness, but as her eyes adjusted, she realized that the darkness was simply low lighting. They stood partway up the back of a massive, semi-circular ampitheatre. Behind them, countless more seats stretched back up into the gloom. Far in front of them, the rows of seats stopped before they reached down to the dais at the centre, although a smooth downward slope continued. She could not see the bottom. All the floors, walls and seats were black. As soon as she noticed this, however, the centre of the ampitheatre caught her attention. A shimmering glow at the centre's perimeter divided the sloped area from the dais which was elevated.<p>

'Is... is that a forcefield?' she whispered.

'Yes,' said Eleven just as quietly. 'It extends the full height of the room and over and under. The dais is completely sealed off.'

'If you will follow me,' said Panossian. She led them down to the first row of seats. As they walked down, Rose noticed that each step's edge glowed with a subtle phosphorescence to aid their passage despite the darkness everywhere else.

The clerk gestured to a group of four seats separated from the surroundings by a low railing and facing the centre of the dais. 'These are reserved for you. During any of the proceedings, only use these seats. Also, if you have any questions or need assistance, please ask. There is a call button that will summon me.'

'When-?' began Rose, but Panossian had already melted back into the darkness.

'Ringside seats,' whispered Martha. 'What's that all about?'

Eleven took the last few steps two at a time and plunked himself down in the seat directly in front of the centre. Rose and Martha squeezed past him to reach theirs.

'I don't know,' muttered Eleven. 'They're certainly going out of their way for us. Odd. I don't like odd. Odd is definitely not good.'

'This place is like a fortress,' said Martha. 'Look at that slope. Anybody trying to cross that to the dais would just slide to the bottom. I bet it's slippery.'

Eleven nodded. 'I think you'd also find that at the bottom, the floor is open. Any transgressor would simply fall through.'

'Where to?' asked Rose. She sat down in her chair next to Eleven. Immediately it moulded to her, fitting its outlines to her body. It was comfortable, but unsettling. She squirmed. The contours of the chair moved as she did. She stopped moving.

Eleven shrugged. 'A holding cell perhaps. Something else, maybe. Something below.'

Rose shuddered.

They all fell silent. Rose could hear a low murmur. As she looked around her she suddenly realized that many of the seats were filled with humans and aliens of all kinds. Most of them looked back at her and the other two. More people were coming in to the ampitheatre. She faced forward.

'I still don't get it,' said Martha. 'If the Doctor, I mean, the other Doctor, not you, sorry, is on trial, wouldn't they want the Tardis as evidence or something? Confiscate it at least?'

'You'd think so,' said Eleven. 'They assured me that there'd be no attempt to take it. They don't consider it important. I trust them. Whatever else they might do, they do not deceive. Still, it's odd. As I said, I don't like odd.'

'Aren't they afraid you're going to do something,' persisted Martha. 'Use your Time Lord technology to get the other Doctor out?'

'I can't,' said Eleven. 'They scanned the Tardis before we landed, and they would have scanned us as we stepped outside it. I had to leave the sonic screwdriver-even the psychic paper-inside. We would never have been allowed to come in here with anything they didn't like.'

'But I still have my mobile,' said Martha.

Eleven smiled at her. 'They don't consider that a threat. I imagine you'll find it already deactivated.'

As Martha pulled out her phone to check, Rose stared at the dais. She found her gaze constantly drawn to it. The faint shimmer of the forcefield did not block any view of the area, rather it helped to illuminate the already well-lit space within. To the left, there was a raised chair with a dark, ornate back. In the centre of that back, it seemed as if a symbol were carved, though Rose could not see it clearly as it was angled almost edge on to her. In front of the chair was a desk made of some dark material. It was tall to match the height of the chair but not deep. The chair and desk were imposing but shadowed, as if the occupant were not meant to be the centre of attention. On the right side of the dais, two more chairs and desks, smaller in stature, stood near each other. They too were less conspicuous. All three chairs faced the centre. Behind them, lining the curving back edge of the dais stood a single raised row of ten seats. A front-facing wall ensured that anyone seated there would only be visible from the shoulders up. It also removed visual distraction from the centre of the court area.

In the middle of the dais, in the most brightly illuminated spot, stood two more chairs. These were not as close to the front of the dais as the first three, but they faced forward. One was simple in design and placed closer to the imposing chair on the left. The second stood halfway between its partner and the two desks to the right. However this one had armrests and a high, clear, plexiglass back. It was also enclosed by a thin blue circular rail, which glowed softly.

Rose's stomach churned. 'I don't like this place,' she said suddenly. 'It feels wrong. Just wrong. There's something... wrong.'

Martha and Eleven both looked at her. 'I know what you mean,' said Martha.

'Tell me, you two,' said Eleven. 'What do you smell?'

Rose stared at him. 'That's it,' she exclaimed. 'I can't smell anything. Anything at all. And... and... This place is full of people but I can hardly hear them. What's with that?'

'I can hardly see them either,' added Martha. 'I mean, I can, but they're like shadows. This many aliens... And they always have a different smell. This many here at once and no smell? I don't get it.'

'It was designed to be like this,' said Eleven. 'No distractions, visual, aural, smell... Even comfort. You've probably noticed the chairs...'

'Yeah,' said Rose.

'Everything designed to keep the audience's attention on only one thing.' Eleven nodded toward the dais.

'And us,' suddenly blurted Rose. 'They're staring at us, the nearer ones. But aren't we just shadows too?'

'I don't think so,' said Eleven. 'I think we're part of the show. I fancy that if we were sitting elsewhere, it would look brighter here.'

'Oh,' said Martha. 'Best be on good behaviour then.'

'Will he be able to see us,' said Rose in a small voice.

'I'm not sure,' said Eleven. 'Perhaps.' He took her hand and squeezed it. She curled her fingers through his and clung hard.

'I hope so,' she said.

'Hang on,' said Martha. 'Something's happening. Look.'

At the back of the dais, in the centre of the wall below the curving row of elevated seats, a rectangular outline had begun to glow. Soon it became obvious that it was a door, for soon a figure appeared and walked forward, slowly and with ponderous dignity. Once that being had seated him or herself (Rose could not tell which) on the imposing chair to the left, two more figures came forward from the door. They too seated themselves quietly behind the two desks on the right. There was a pause, but before Rose could wonder why, she realized that the seats ranged above the back facade were filling with people. As with the audience area, however, it was difficult to see their faces clearly. They were anonymous.

When there was no more movement in that back row, a deep bell sounded. Pure in tone, it reverberated through the ampitheatre. Rose could feel it through the floor and her chair. The sound and vibration grew almost to the point of discomfort, and then suddenly faded away.

'Wow,' she heard Martha say under her breath.

A voice spoke, filling the ampitheatre. The voice was measured, deep and unemotional.

'The trial of the Shadow Proclamation against the Time Lord known as the Doctor begins,' the voice said. Rose peered at each of the three people at their desks, but she could not tell which, or if any, of them, were speaking. 'The purpose of this preliminary session is to establish the identity of the accused, to introduce the chief witness, to list the charges against the accused, and to establish the form of this trial.

'The accused will come forward.'

Rose's heart began to hammer. She could see the rectangular glow appear again. She leaned forward. Three shapes appeared out of the doorway.

Flanked by two massive Judoon warriors, Ten looked small. He had been stripped of his clothing and instead wore what clearly was prison garb-a loose-fitting grey tunic and trousers. His feet were bare. Both his hands and feet were in restraints. He walked unsteadily but the Judoon held his arms in a vice-like grip as they propelled him forward.

Suddenly, as the trio reached the middle of the dais, light flooded the ampitheatre, and a tumult burst forth. Screams, yells, and jeers filled the air.

Rose jumped. 'What?' she said.

'What's happening,' cried Martha. 'My god, look at them!'

Rose turned in her seat. She could clearly see the vastness of the ampitheatre. Aliens and humans, great numbers of them, filled the rows as far back as she could see. Many were gesticulating, some were on their feet. The din was overwhelming. Rose looked back at Ten. It was clear that he too could see everything.

'They're trying to intimidate him,' she said, aghast. 'They're doing this on purpose.'

After what seemed hours, the illumination in the audience area dimmed once more, and the noise fell away as if some auditory forcefield were being lowered over the lot.

'I'm sorry,' Eleven whispered in her ear. 'But you're right. They want him to know how much he's on display. He'll know they're there even when he can't see them.'

'Bastards,' muttered Martha.

The Judoon pulled Ten forward and to the chair with the circular rail. As they did so, the rail parted in front and the two halves smoothly slid backward and behind the chair. The jailors deposited Ten on the chair and undid his hand restraints, splitting them into two units. Just as the yelling and screaming seemed loud a minute ago, now the sounds of the catch clicking undone was clearly audible. They placed his arms on the armrests and refastened the now divided restraints. Ten's arms were securely fixed to the chair.

The Judoon then knelt and did the same to Ten's feet. Soon they were secured to the chair legs. The jailors rose to their feet and swiftly retreated through the door. As they did so, the two semi-circular rails slid around again, enclosing Ten in a circle of blue glow. Waist-high, the glow further illuminated his face, making him stand out even more.

Rose looked at him closely. He had dark shadows under his eyes, and clearly he had not shaven. His hair, dishevelled at the best of times, was wilder than ever. She longed to wave at him to show she was there, but she was afraid of breaking some alien rule and prompting punishment to be meted out to her, or worse, to him.

'Three days,' she whispered to Eleven. 'Enough time for him to recover from the Time Vortex?'

'That and nearly dying?' Eleven whispered back. 'Kept isolated and nothing to balance his dodgy sense of reality with? I doubt it.'

'They...' Rose hesitated. 'They haven't hurt him, have they? They'd see he needed a doctor, yeah?'

'Possibly,' said Eleven. 'I-'

But he was cut off. The deep voice sounded again. 'The identity of the prisoner shall be established. The defendant and numerous witnesses have confirmed that the prisoner before you is the Time Lord known as the Doctor. Prisoner! Do you accept this identity? Do you claim to be the Doctor, a Time Lord of the planet Gallifrey?'

Ten didn't move, but answered only, 'I do,' in a low voice.

Rose could feel Eleven tense beside her, but she paid him little heed. Instead, she mentally hugged those two short words to herself, for under the strain that could be heard, those words still carried the soft, rich timbre of his voice that she longed to hear, that she felt starved for since he'd been arrested.

'The Shadow Proclamation also identifies the prisoner as the Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey, from our own records. Thus identity is confirmed. Now the list of-'

Eleven slammed his open palm down on a button in a console that Rose had not noticed. He jumped up and shouted, 'I protest!'

'Doctor!' cried Martha, aghast. 'What-'

'I protest,' repeated Eleven loudly. 'This identity is close but not true.'

Their box dazzled with illumination as spotlights from some unseen place streamed in. Eleven stood ramrod straight, chin sticking out defiantly.

In shock, Rose stared up at him, but then she cast a glance at Ten. No longer slumped in his chair, he too was staring at Eleven, clearly startled.

One of the figures behind the two smaller desks on the dais strode forward. 'On what grounds do you make this claim,' asked a female voice.

'On the grounds,' said Eleven, 'that I am the true Doctor, full Time Lord of Gallifrey. The man you are holding is Time Lord, yes, but he is also human. He is of Gallifrey, but he is also of Earth.'

'You do not appear in any of our records,' said the woman.

'Well, yes,' said Eleven impatiently, 'but that's just because I haven't had dealings with you lot since I regenerated. You, er, do know that Time Lords regenerate, hm?'

'We are aware of that part of the mythology,' said the woman.

'I do wish all you people would stop saying "mythology",' said Eleven. 'I don't feel very mythic-'

'Nevertheless,' interrupted the woman, 'the prosecution, the witnesses, the accused himself, and the Shadow Proclamation all confirm his identity. You, on the other hand, have no proof.'

'Yes, I do,' said Eleven. 'Take a sample of my blood. I know that the Shadow Proclamation has access to records of Gallifreyan blood types and DNA patterns. You'll find they match.'

'The prisoner's DNA has already been found to match. The chance of your being another Gallifreyan is unlikely but not impossible. However, that is not a matter of concern. The question is if you are the Doctor. You are one voice against many. You have no proof.'

'I have the Tardis,' said Eleven.

'Of course you do,' said the woman. She smiled. 'If indeed you are another Time Lord, and you travel with the Doctor, then you naturally would become the next pilot once the Doctor has been removed. The Tardis is of no matter.'

'All right,' said Eleven, and he rocked back slightly on his heels. 'All right. Forget the Tardis. Physiology. Ha! You can't argue with physiology. I have two hearts. He only has one. Now, you try to worm your way out of that one.'

The woman looked at him calmly. 'Chameleon arches are also a part of a Time Lord's technology. We know that the Doctor has changed into a human before to suit his own purposes. Superficial arrangements of organs do not interest us. It is the cell structure that is the proof. The prisoner is Gallifreyan, whether or not he has two hearts, and whether or not he has residual human DNA from a chameleon arch or any other reason.'

'Oh, you are a stubborn one,' Eleven muttered. 'But that's your job, isn't it, Madam Defence Counsel.' He ran a hand through his hair. 'Look, can you at least ask him? Let me ask him? He knows the truth.'

The Woman paused, and then she nodded. 'Your request is granted.'

Rose pulled at Eleven's arm. 'What are you doing,' she hissed. 'You both might end up...'

'No, we won't,' said Eleven. 'Too messy having two of us, dividing attention. Not good PR.'

At that moment, a swath of air between the steps by their seats and the front of the dais seemed to shimmer and solidify into a slim footbridge. Eleven stepped out of their row and forward onto the path.

Immediately, Rose lunged to follow, but just as quickly a forcefield appeared in her way. She fell back stunned. Martha caught her from behind. With Rose still in Martha's arms, they watched as Eleven crossed over the bridge and stepped onto the dais.

The footbridge melted into a shimmer and disappeared as quietly as it came. But Eleven now stood beside the Woman.

'Ask your question.'

Eleven walked in front of Ten. For one long moment the two Doctors simply looked at each other.

'What are they doing,' asked Rose. She craned her neck.

'I don't know,' whispered Martha in her ear.

Eleven stirred then. 'Do you believe that you are the Doctor?' he asked.

'Yes,' said Ten.

'Am I the Doctor?'

Ten hesitated. Finally, he said, 'You are a Time Lord from Gallifrey.'

Eleven scoffed. 'Oh, come off it! You know that I'm the one they want. I'm the one who should be sitting in that chair.'

'Objection,' cried a new voice. A man from the second of the smaller desks leapt up from his chair. 'The questioner is leading the prisoner.'

'Sustained,' said the disembodied voice.

'All right, all right,' said Eleven hastily. 'Answer me this. Am I the Doctor? Yes, or no.'

Ten stared at Eleven unblinking.

'Answer the question,' said the Woman.

'Yes.' Ten's voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible.

Eleven turned to the Woman. 'Reasonable doubt, I believe, has been established.'

'We'll see about that,' said the Woman. She turned to Ten. 'You say that this person is the Doctor. Do you still claim the identity of the Doctor and all that that entails?

'Yes,' said Ten. His voice was firmer now.

The Woman approached the high desk. 'A question of identity, your Honour. One man challenges the identity of the prisoner, one that has already been confirmed by all other parties involved. I request that Prosecution be given a chance to reassess.'

'Granted,' said the Voice. Immediately, the man who had objected walked towards the back of the dais.

The doorway glowed again, and a woman emerged. The man immediately went to her side and ushered her towards the centre. Rose and Martha both leaned forward.

'She's got to be the chief witness,' whispered Rose. 'Who is she?' She squinted.

The newcomer entered the brightly lit area and walked to the empty seat.

'Oh my god,' said Martha.

Rose looked at her startled. She looked back at the dais. Both Eleven and Ten were staring at the woman.

'Mother?' cried Martha.

_To be continued_


	7. The Charges

**Chapter 7:** _The Charges_

* * *

><p>Rose grabbed Martha's arm. 'That's your mother?' she hissed.<p>

'This isn't my idea,' Martha shot back. 'What's she doing?'

'She's trying to get the Doctor executed,' Rose said angrily.

'You don't know that,' said Martha, stung. 'We don't know what the penalty is yet.'

'Don't give me that,' said Rose. 'Nobody puts on a show like this, for charges like that, just for a slap on the wrist.'

'Look,' Martha said desperately. 'I knew nothing about this. I swear! I-' But she was interrupted.

'Chief witness for Prosecution,' said the Man. 'Please state your full name for the court.'

'Francine Jones,' she said slowly and clearly.

The Man held out an old, leather-bound book. 'Research shows that this is an appropriate object from your culture. Please put your hand on your holy book and repeat these words.' He shifted his stance. 'I, Francine Jones, swear with all honesty and serious intent to speak only that which is true and full in meaning, content and word, in accordance with the law of the Shadow Proclamation.'

Francine laid her hand on the book and repeated the oath.

'Ms. Jones, I apologize for this extra step,' said the Man. 'However, the identity of the prisoner has been challenged by this person.' He gestured to Eleven. 'He claims to be the Doctor. The prisoner also claims to be the Doctor. I would like you to take a close look at each one. Take a close look and tell me which one you recognize as the Doctor.'

Francine immediately pointed at Ten. 'He-'

'No, no,' interrupted the Woman. 'Take a good look. Take your time. Be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt.'

Francine stood up and very slowly circled Eleven, looking at him up and down.

'Francine,' he said softly.

She frowned and turned away. 'I have never seen him before,' she said. She walked over to Ten and stared at him. He looked back at her without rancour.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered. 'I'm so sorry.'

'He is the one,' she said, trembling. She pointed once more at Ten. 'He did everything.'

Immediately the Man was at her side. 'Thank you, Ms. Jones. I know how difficult this is for you. You may return to your chair.'

The Woman turned to Eleven. 'Your protest has been heard and overruled. Please return to your seat.'

Eleven nodded, his shoulders slumped. He walked towards the front of the dais. As the footbridge shimmered into being once more, and the forcefield opened into a doorway, he suddenly turned around.

'I recognize that I have been overruled, but I beg the court to let me make just one request.'

The Woman hesitated. She looked at the judge. She nodded and turned back. 'State your request... briefly.'

'First, an observation,' said Eleven. 'The prisoner is clearly unwell. Look at him. I'm surprised you consider him fit to stand trial. He needs a medical doctor and I can tell you, there are none from his planet. I should know. However, I do have with me a physician that he knows and trusts and, more importantly, one who understands his unique physiology. I request that the prisoner be allowed medical aid by this physician.'

The Woman again looked at the judge. After a pause, she looked back. 'I will allow it. Your guide will take the physician-and I stress, only the physician-to the prisoner at the appointed time. Now, please leave the court.'

Eleven bowed to the judge and walked back over the bridge.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

When Eleven sat down, Rose grabbed his nearest shoulder and whispered, 'That's Martha's mum!'

'I know,' he mouthed back and put his finger to his lips. Rose sank back into her seat.

The judge was speaking. 'The list of charges against the Doctor will be read.'

The Man walked to the front of the dais and turned to face Ten who looked at him steadily.

'You, Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey, are charged with the following crimes: Genocide, for the destruction of the Dalek race during the Medusa Cascade incident; Treason, against your adopted planet Earth in causing or aiding the downfall of two successive governments as well as an ancillary government and the destruction of a planetary defence organization; Aiding and abetting torture and imprisonment during the reign of the Time Lord known as the Master over Earth; and Theft of equipment from the Shadow Proclamation. How do you plead?

Ten took a deep breath. 'For all charges, except that of genocide and theft of equipment, I plead not guilty,' he said firmly.

'For the charges of genocide and theft, we plead extenuating circumstances,' added the Woman in a loud voice.

'Your response has been noted by the court,' said the judge. The Woman returned to her chair and sat down. The Man did the same.

The Voice spoke again. 'The final action of this session is to establish the form this trial will use. Ordinarily, the traditions of the planet of the accused are followed unless a different request has been made. In this case, the planet Gallifrey no longer exists, and a jury of peers is not possible. Because of this, the procedures will follow standard policy of the Shadow Proclamation. In order to accommodate the needs of the chief witness, terminology and some superficial arrangements will follow that of judiciary systems of Earth. Other requests may be accommodated according to the relevance to other civilizations affected by the Doctor's actions. These may include but not be limited to mind-scan as applicable to the former Gallifreyan legal system, torture as applicable to Dalek traditions, or-'

'What?' cried Rose.

'Shh!' whispered Eleven urgently, although he laid his hand gently over hers.

The Voice was still speaking. '-as applicable to Raxacoricofallapatorius. The maximum sentence, should the accused be found guilty, will be death.'

'They can't,' Rose cried.

'What kind of legal system is this?' said Martha. 'Torture?'

Eleven leaned towards them but with his gaze still directed towards the stage. 'It just means the requests have been made. It does not mean they will allow it. They are obliged to list them.'

'That doesn't make me feel much better,' muttered Martha.

The Voice spoke once more. 'This session is concluded. The trial will commence tomorrow.'

Rose leaned over the bar in front of the seats. A faint hum of a forcefield tickled her ears but she ignored it. 'Doctor,' she whispered.

On the dais, Ten turned his head slightly and, for one brief moment, he saw her. His lips quirked upwards into a ghost of a smile, but at that moment, the two Judoon guards stood in front of him and began to unfasten his restraints. But as they led him away, his hands now bound behind him, he looked over his shoulder and he saw her again.

'Rose,' he mouthed, but the guards jerked him forward, and he was forced to look away.

She watched him disappear into the glowing doorway. Then she lowered her head into her hands and shut her eyes tightly.

After a short time, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Come on,' said Eleven in her ear. 'Let's go.'

Numbly, she got up and followed him. Silently, they made their way out of the ampitheatre. When they reached the open hall, the crowds were louder than before, and recording devices hovered about their heads, but she kept her gaze on Eleven's back and doggedly kept walking until they reached the Tardis. Even then, she stared at the door handle until Eleven fitted his key to the lock and turned it.

She stumbled inside and made it to the stairs before she sagged down onto the bottom step. A pair of arms encircled her. It was Martha.

'I'm sorry,' said Martha. 'I really am. I had no idea.'

Rose raised her head. 'Your mother... How could she-'

'I had no idea Mum was involved in anything like this. I don't understand. I thought she had forgiven him.'

'Forgiven him for what?' Rose wriggled out of Martha's arms. 'For saving the Earth? That's all he ever does.'

'I know,' Martha began, 'but, and I hate saying this, that's not what she experienced.'

Eleven squatted in front of Rose. 'Francine and her family were imprisoned and tortured for a year, Rose. And it was because of me that the Master came to Earth. I did not save the Earth. Martha did. I don't agree with the charges, but I understand why Francine made them.' He placed one hand on Rose's shoulder and one on Martha's. 'Don't blame Martha. And don't blame her mother. What she, and the rest of her family, went through-'

'-was horrible,' said Martha.

'What happened to you?' asked Rose.

Eleven looked away.

'He was also imprisoned and tortured,' said Martha. 'It was... complicated.'

'Never mind that,' said Eleven. 'I take my chances, take my own risks. And I know the Master. But Martha's family didn't. It was different for them.'

Rose stood up and Eleven moved back to make room. 'This happened before my Doctor was created, yeah?' At his nod, she continued. 'So he was imprisoned and tortured when he was still you. And now he is standing trial for that.'

Martha nodded. 'Yeah.' She too stood up.

Rose looked down at the floor. She could feel the other two watching her, waiting. After a moment, she took a deep breath and looked up at both of them. 'Right,' she said. 'I believe we have a plan? Get Martha in to see the Doctor?'

She could feel the other two shift slightly as if relaxing.

'Yes,' said Martha. 'We do.' She turned to Eleven. 'I think you had better make me familiar with his "unique physiology". The sooner the better.'

'Yes. Yes, of course,' said Eleven. 'We have one hour to get ready.' He bounded up the steps.

But before Martha followed him, she gave Rose's hand a quick squeeze. 'Thank you,' she whispered. Then she ran up the steps after the Doctor.

_To be continued_


	8. Touch

**Chapter 8:** _Touch_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ten<strong>_

Light streams in spirals, rushing, rushing. Slow, slow, but he travels fast rushing through time and space, buffeted by chance and events-too many events for him to follow. He can't keep up, not any more. His Time-Lord mind can, but his human body feels so tired, and his mind is not an island. Above him is a white, flat ceiling; nevertheless, the universe calls to him. The base beneath him drifts gently in its space, anchored to no planetary body, yet the galaxy in which it resides still rotates, taking Ten along with it, swirling dizzyingly fast around the blazing core of stars and gas that screams out light and energy and radio waves far off into the depths of the universe. The bed is firm beneath him, but hollow floors and floating rock are beneath them and then nothing. There is nothing beneath him and nothing above.

Crimes against humanity. He is guilty of all of them and yet guilty of none, depending. He is the Doctor, but another has a closer claim to that identity. Yet that name is his and rightfully so. Are the crimes his because, technically he inherited them along with his physical body? Or did he earn them because he shares a mind with one other? But the other is different now, and the universe does not swirl through his mind the same way, overwhelming, bullying, insisting. They are both guilty, aren't they? At least of some of the crimes. Non-interference screams a memory from the Time Lord Council. Non-interference, safety, not meddling. But what have they done, both of them when they were one? Meddling, a way of life.

The door hisses when it opens and it isn't clear if the sound is from some hydraulic system or or a star cluster that is rushing past him in the spiral of the galaxy's arm. There is no sound in space... yet that is only for want of oxygen, or some other gas. He can hear all of it anyway-a myriad sounds and vibrations telling him everything, telling him nothing.

Someone speaks to him and he responds. He is getting better at this. He can respond, make sense, look into eyes and convey meaning through body language and speech, but the vortex twists and turns in front of him so that voices, including his own, echo through as if from a distance. What is nearer? The voices or the wispy ribbons of colour and energy that lash around the edges of his vision-that define the tunnel stretching in front of him. Rose-he could latch on to Rose, a focal point for his mind. She didn't understand, yet by instinct she offered him safe harbour. A guiding star to always lead him home. He can't see that star any more. It is out there among the other countless stars of this single galaxy-out there with the others. He had felt relief when he saw her in that illuminated box in the courtroom, a box of light among the darkness of the others, the angry horde. He had forgotten her face, distressed that he could not see it for the onslaught of sights and sounds streaming through him, busy, busy, busy. But she was there, and the familiarity of her features shone through to him and gave him comfort.

It is Martha's face he sees now. Martha? She is speaking to him, yes, and he can understand the words. She has come to examine him. He lets her; her firm but gentle touch is another safe harbour in the relentless sensory rush. He closes his eyes and follows the pressing of her fingers over his body. When she rolls up the sleeve of his prison tunic, he helps her. When she draws blood from him, the sting of the needle reminds him of the steel that crept into her voice after the year she spent travelling the Earth, telling stories of him. A metamorphosis-they all go through it, or many of them do. His Children of Time, Davros said. Turning them into weapons. Guilty, guilty as charged.

His body rocks slightly as Martha pushes the sleeve further up and over the curve of his shoulder. She apologizes to him for the use of another needle for nutrients he needs in his condition but he shrugs. He welcomes her touch, he craves it, and so when she grasps his upper arm firmly with one hand and glides the needle in with the other, he smiles a little. The anchor is still there.

Chemicals rush into his arm. Just as nebulae and gaseous clouds mingle and billow, he feels the molecules wash in eddies through his flesh, spread slowly inward, be absorbed. The microcosm that is his body feels just as complex and busy as the macrocosm of the universe. Human and Time Lord DNA jockey for supremacy as the cells adjust and re-balance and the rich energy of this universe continues to flow.

Martha is speaking again and he knows that she is leaving. He reaches out a hand to touch her, and she clasps it. As she does so, he realizes he's saying a name, over and over. Martha squeezes his hand and says something. He doesn't hear the message but he hears the tone: comforting, reassuring, promising.

And then she is gone and he falls backwards against the bed. The Vortex rushes on.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_**Rose**_

Rose sat on the jumpseat hunched over, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Her stomach felt as if it were tied in knots. Odd noises came to her ears as Eleven moved around the console tinkering with she knew not what. The noises echoed differently from what she remembered and even the jumpseat's location, closer to the door, made her feel ill at ease. Try as she might, she could not get used to this new console room, and she longed for the cozier room she knew.

She straightened. 'D'you think Martha's with him now?' she asked.

Eleven paused on the other side of the console and peered at her around the time rotor. 'I don't know,' he said. 'She'll have to go through the security checks. Takes a while, I should imagine.' He lay down on the floor and reached up under the console.

Rose sank down in her seat. Sounds of the sonic screwdriver came to her ears, and, unbidden, memories of the first time she saw the Doctor fixing something under the console came to her mind. He had blue eyes then. Now they were green. Blue, brown, green-

Often cold, often sardonic, the blue eyes later softened and twinkled in lighter moments between them. But then the eyes became brown, warmer, more apt to laughter and joy, but darker with anger. These new green eyes-Rose didn't know these yet. Friendly, curious, but like both colours before, the green held something, and she didn't yet know how they might change.

She got up and slowly walked around to where Eleven lay, arms reaching up to the underside of the console. She squatted down. 'Why'd you leave me in the other universe? Why him?'

Eleven paused in his work. 'Weren't you happy with him?'

'No, don't you dare,' said Rose. 'You give me a straight answer, you hear?'

Eleven sat up, his head narrowly missing the edge of the console. 'Rose,' he said but then stopped.

'I need to know,' Rose said. 'I loved you. I thought you loved me but you just left me behind. You just left him behind. I mean, you _created_ him. It's like you couldn't get rid of us fast enough.'

'Rose,' Eleven said and then looked away.

'See, I've thought about this for a long time, Doctor,' she said. 'I've had a long time stuck over there, y'know.'

He looked at her cautiously out of the corners of his eyes. 'Yes?'

'I overheard you talking to Sarah Jane at that school with the bats. I heard you say humans wither and d... decay. I mean,' and here she looked down at the glass, 'I got the message. You abandoned her. You abandoned us. Many others too, probably.'

Eleven stayed still.

'But it's not that simple,' she continued. 'Neither of us were going to wither and die for a long time. Still aren't.' She swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat. 'Well, maybe.' Tears came to her eyes. 'Why? You said, "Not you". We said, "Forever".'

'We did,' Eleven said slowly.

'So you create a human Doctor and you stick us together. Nice, neat, selfless act. Happy ever after for the humans. You go on and suffer in noble Time Lord silence.'

Eleven looked at her fully then. 'I didn't plan it,' he said.

'No, but you did it.'

'Was it that bad?' he asked. 'You and he love each other. I can see it.'

'That's not the point,' Rose said. 'You didn't give us a choice. Everything was all very polite, but you weren't going to let us back in the Tardis. I know it. You already made the choice for us and... you had no right!'

Eleven nodded. Rose looked closely at him. His face was impassive, but she could see the strain around his eyes.

'I think you loved me,' she said, her voice softening slightly. 'And whatever you call him, Ten is your family. He's all you've got. Could you really be that scared of us withering that you had to get rid of us? What were you so scared of?'

Eleven stood so abruptly that Rose fell back onto her bottom. As she watched, he scrambled down steps and under the glass floor. He began to pull out a cable from the central column.

Rose inched forward until she could lean over the edge. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'You were scared, weren't you.'

Once again, Eleven stood still, his back to her. 'Drop it,' he said.

Rose edged herself down over the ledge and sat just under, on the slope. In the shadows she could see that Eleven's shoulders were hunched.

Ten's voice came to her. _'Leave it,'_ he had said. She winced.

'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I will. For now.'

Eleven resumed his work and she sat watching him.

'Thanks for bringing us back,' she said softly. 'Even if...'

'Yeah,' said Eleven.

Silence fell.

Time passed slowly. Rose tried to imagine Martha passing the security checks and finally being able to see Ten. She wondered if she were there now.

'You really think they'll use torture?' she asked in a small voice.

The screwdriver continued its whirring, and for a moment Rose thought that Eleven must not have heard her. But after a moment the noise stopped and he scooted forward on his side to peer at her again.

'I mean, they wouldn't, right? You said it was just a request.' Rose drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. 'Just for show, yeah?'

Very slowly, Eleven laid the screwdriver down by the column.

'Would they?' Rose's voice quavered.

He came and sat beside her. The edges of the glass platform above them cast shadows across his face.

'I don't know,' he said. 'I hope not.'

'But... but the Shadow Proclamation...? Isn't it only backward places that use torture?' she asked, feeling suddenly naive.

Eleven shook his head. 'Not necessarily. Even on Earth, that isn't always true. The Proclamation is bound by the rules of the member civilizations, and those rules are different. A lot of planets have outlawed torture, but a lot haven't.'

'But Martha's mum is from Earth,' she protested.

'And torture is used on Earth,' he reminded her.

'Not in the U.K.,' she said.

'Doesn't matter from their perspective. If it is used by any government, then the planet is considered to condone it. I doubt Martha's mum has asked for it, but those pulling the strings behind her might have.'

'What do you mean?' asked Rose.

Eleven ran his fingers through his hair. 'I mentioned I thought all of this was very odd. The speed at which this is happening, that they're going out of their way to accommodate us as guests... Francine couldn't have started the charges on her own. UNIT would never have initiated it. Someone is working behind the scenes with their own agenda. I can feel it.'

'The Shadow Proclamation?' she asked.

'No,' he answered and he fidgeted restlessly. 'Someone else. The Proclamation doesn't involve itself with schemes. It's pretty straightforward. Officious, maybe, but straightforward.'

'But if the people behind Martha's mum hate the Doctor...' said Rose.

'Or hate me, rather. He's not had much to do with this universe,' said Eleven. 'Not really. Not physically at any rate.'

'Don't tell him that,' she said quickly. 'And they don't care. They all think he's you.'

He nodded.

'If they hate him,' she repeated, 'they'll have him tortured somehow. Get revenge, yeah?'

'Maybe,' he said.

Rose shivered. 'Not him,' she whispered. 'Not him.'

Eleven gathered her in his arms then and she rested her head against his chest. The tweed lapel of his jacket felt slightly rough against her chin, but the cotton shirt was soft under her ear.

And through the shirt came a sound that she had not heard for over a year: the double thump of the Doctor's two hearts.

Rose pressed her head against him even as some of the tension drained from her. In response, he tightened his hold and rocked her slightly back and forth. Soon she was crying, sobbing freely like a child. Eleven still held her close and stroked her hair as her tears soaked his shirt. After she calmed down, they sat like that for some time, saying nothing.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The key in the lock wasn't loud, but feeling Eleven straighten told Rose more of Martha's return. He didn't shift any further, and she wondered if he wished to let her make the first move. She didn't make him wait long, though. She was up and running around to the front.

'Did you see him?' she asked breathlessly. Eleven came up behind her.

Martha nodded. 'Yeah.' She looked at Rose's face, and Rose knew the medical doctor was taking note of her puffy and reddened eyes. 'I saw him.' Martha climbed the steps and sat down on one of the jump seats. Rose sat down on the other, facing her.

'How is he?' she asked. She clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling.

Martha hesitated and looked at Eleven who was leaning against the console. 'Not good, I have to say. Physically, he's exhausted-I doubt he's been sleeping. His vital signs are within the acceptable range. They're not great, but they're not bad enough for me to say he's unfit to stand trial. Mild tachycardia, slightly shallow breathing, but no other signs of distress.'

'Tachycardia?' asked Rose. 'Isn't that dangerous?'

'It's not ideal,' said Martha, 'but this is sinus tachycardia. His heart is still beating normally. Just fast. Stress can cause that, and all the weird stuff he's been through recently. Don't worry about it too much, all right? I'll keep an eye on it.'

'How is he mentally?' asked Eleven.

Martha frowned and shook her head. 'This is where I am more concerned. His behaviour is deceptive. On the surface, he seems aware, but there's none of that spark, that intensity that I have always associated with him.'

'What d'you mean?' asked Rose.

Martha sighed. 'It's almost like he can interact, but he's clinging to what he knows. He gives the impression that he is responding capably to those around him, but I don't think he can assess or imagine consequences. I bet his mind is too busy with that Time Vortex. If I'm right, he won't be able to protect himself. He will just say what comes to his mind, no matter how damaging it might be.'

Rose took a deep breath. 'You mean-'

'You saw it,' Martha said. 'He apologized to my mother right in front of the court, unprompted. It's how he feels, how he has always felt, I imagine, but that's not going to help him during the trial. He's pretty much admitted that he feels responsible for what happened to her during that year, and I'll bet you anything the Prosecution is going to take advantage of that.'

'I was afraid of that,' muttered Eleven. 'One reason I was hoping to replace him. But he deliberately blocked me. Fool.'

'He's protecting you,' said Rose.

Eleven scowled. 'Why? He's got to know he's in no condition to defend himself.'

'Doesn't matter,' Rose shot back. 'He's doing this for you. He wants you to stay free.'

Eleven opened his mouth but, uncharacteristically, said nothing. He shut it.

Martha cleared her throat. 'Why didn't they accept the Tardis as proof?' she asked. 'Couldn't she identify you as the original Doctor?'

'Maybe,' said Eleven, his momentary speechlessness over with. 'Well, yes. Problem is, she herself knows that Ten and I are the same person. The fact that Ten has some of Donna's DNA won't trouble the Tardis one bit. She accepted him when I asked her to identify him through the Rassilon Imprimatur. Accepted him as me, that is. She knows the difference, of course, but the duality doesn't matter to her. Any attempt by the Shadow Proclamation and the Defence to use her as evidence would still result in Ten being confirmed as the Doctor, and that's all the Prosecution wants.'

Martha leaned over and touched Eleven on the knee. 'We'd still be faced with a Doctor in danger, and no-one working on the outside to help you. No-one with the kind of knowledge you have. He wouldn't be able to help you much, the shape he's in.'

'What are we doing on the outside?' asked Rose. She jumped up and leaned against the console. She crossed her arms.

'We've found out how Ten is and what he can or cannot do,' said Eleven. 'That's a start.'

'Where are they holding him?' Rose asked.

'I don't know,' admitted Martha. 'I couldn't tell where we were going. All the corridors looked the same, all white, all the same size. The only markings were on signs or screens. I think they change depending on what they need them for.'

'Yes. Quite clever, really, when you think about it,' said Eleven. 'I fancy that those markings only appear when you pass them... if you're authorized, that is... If not, miles and miles of identical corridors-imagine trying to locate anything in that!'

'They curved too,' said Martha, 'but there was no consistency. There were loads of other corridors branching off, weird angles... It was a warren. I tried keeping track but I had to give up. Even the elevator was the same-no marking at all. It kept changing direction, up, down, sideways, crazy angles in between... It was so smooth it was hard to know how fast it was going. No floor numbers at all.'

'There you are, Rose,' said Eleven gently. 'We can't find him ourselves. We'd never get far. And this is one of the few places with an interior shielded from even the Tardis' sensors. Nor can we land anywhere without their permission. Nor leave, I dare say, although that would be my own fault.'

'Why?' asked Rose.

'I, er, left with the Tardis when they had claimed use of it against the Daleks. I had no intention of letting them stop me from doing things on my own-things including saving you lot, by the way.'

'Is that what that "theft of equipment" was all about?' asked Martha.

Eleven nodded and cleared his throat. 'Afraid so. That's the one charge the Proclamation itself is concerned with. I no longer have the freedom to come and go as I please. I've made it harder for us to work on the outside. Sorry about that.'

'What _can_ we do then?' asked Rose. 'If we can't leave...'

'That's not strictly true,' said Eleven. 'They haven't forbidden us from leaving...yet. It's just that when we want to, we'll have to wait for the forcefields to be removed-forcefields made with Time Lord technology, I might add.'

'And we do what?' asked Rose.

'They're allowing me to see the Doctor again tomorrow,' said Martha. 'If I'm lucky, I'll be able to make it every day. But,' she added at Rose's hopeful expression, 'they're pretty strict. I can't talk to him about anything important or pass along any messages. If I do, they'd stop the visits pretty quick, I bet.'

'Excellent,' said Eleven. 'Just visiting him will do a lot.'

'Why don't they use names in the trial?' asked Rose suddenly. 'I mean, for the barristers, the judge... Who are they?'

Eleven shrugged. 'That's the tradition of the Proclamation. It maintains independence and that includes the identities of those involved. They only use titles.'

'Doesn't seem very transparent,' said Martha.

'That doesn't concern them,' said Eleven. 'There are reasons why they call it "The Shadow Proclamation".'

Rose nodded.

'You may have also noticed another difference,' he added. 'Multiple charges. Different events. Remember, this is not an Earth trial. Things aren't necessarily going to work the way you expect them to.'

'Yeah, I wondered about that,' said Martha. She got up. 'I should go and analyze the blood sample I took. See what's happening with that genetic soup of his.' She got up and disappeared into the depths of the Tardis.'

'Meanwhile, we wait,' said Rose.

Eleven looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. He leaned over and took her hand. He squeezed it. 'Yes,' he said. 'Until tomorrow morning.'

_To be continued_


	9. Succumbing to Prophecy

**Chapter 9: **Succumbing to Prophecy

* * *

><p><em>'And the punishment will be banishment to the parallel universe from whence you came where you will live out your natural lives.'<em>

_Hands were laid on Rose and Ten, and they were hustled into the Tardis. Flanked by Judoon warriors, Eleven stood at the console, shoulders slumped, not looking at them. And then they were there on Darlig Ulv Stranden, stumbling on to the beach. Jackie and Pete stood, arms joyfully outstretched, welcoming them. But as the Tardis faded from view, Ten lurched and fell to his knees._

_'Doctor,' cried Rose. She cradled him in her arms. But already he was weakening, dying. And by the time Jackie and Pete reached them, his eyes had already closed and he was still._

_And when Rose stood, she was in Torchwood, and everyone was clapping and cheering, congratulating her on her successful return. But Ten's body still lay on the beach. She tried to protest that it was a banishment, that the Doctor was dead because of it, but no-one listened to her. _

_'Get me back,' she cried. 'This isn't my home. It never was. Get me back to the Tardis, to the Doctor.'_

_Smiling, they told her that the Doctor was dead on the beach in Norway. 'Don't you remember?' But she pounded on the wall at the top of Torchwood Tower, frantic._

_'He's still out there. He is!'_

Rose woke up trembling. She sat up, breathing hard. The gentle hum of the Tardis surrounded her, and the bed was soft under her. Slowly she relaxed and lay back against the pillows.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'You ready?' asked Eleven. He took her hand.

'Yeah,' said Rose, and they went through the double doors into the courtroom.

It was no easier this time around. The self-moulding chair still unnerved her, and the huge room was as dark and vast and overwhelming as before. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes, resolutely ignoring all that went on around her. After some time, she felt Martha's hand on her arm and she looked up. All the people were in place and Ten was being brought out.

Rose leaned forward to watch him. Although he still walked slowly and carefully placed each bare foot in front of the other, he didn't stumble this time. His guards also had clearly learned to slow down for him.

'That's it, Doctor,' she said under her breath. 'You show 'em.'

The sudden raising of the lights and the explosion of noise from the audience made her jump, but this time she quickly turned her back on it and watched Ten being escorted to the chair. He too seemed less startled and merely sat in the chair and arranged his arms and legs so that the guards could fasten the restraints easily.

The deep voice spoke. 'This session will examine the first and most serious charge, that of genocide. Prosecution, present your case.'

The Man walked forward. 'During the Medusa Cascade incident in the Earth time of June, 2009, the Doctor deliberately committed genocide against the Daleks. Even though he had already defused the device known as the Reality Bomb with the help of others during the event in question, he and he alone chose to commit genocide. I stress that he did so after the immediate threat that the Daleks presented had passed.'

'On what do you base this accusation?' asked the Voice.

'On a fourth-party witness,' said the Prosecutor.

'Fourth-party?' asked the Woman sharply. 'What does that mean?'

'I have a soldier from Earth who witnessed events pertaining to another charge that is to come. However, he also experienced the memories of another person who was present during the Medusa Cascade incident. I call Corporal Stephen Miller forward.'

A man, possibly in his late-twenties, came onto the dais, took the oath solemnly and sat in the witness chair. He was not familiar to Rose, but she immediately heard a sharp intake of breath from Martha. Eleven merely nodded, although when Rose quickly glanced at him, he seemed a bit somber.

'Mr. Miller,' said the Man without preamble, 'I would like to establish some context here. You've told me that you witnessed two events in which the Doctor was involved. The first one was during the erased year that has been recognized to have happened on the Earth ship Valiant.' The Man turned to look up at the Jury and the high desk. 'Multiple witnesses who survived on the Valiant, and evidence left on the ship itself have established that there was a period of one year during which the Time Lord known as the Master controlled the Earth for the purpose to launch war on the rest of the Universe. The Earth Defence Organization known as UNIT has accepted this as fact.'

He turned back to the soldier. 'You were stationed on the Valiant initially as part of the UNIT guard during the initial meeting between Earth leaders and the so-called Toclafane. When one of the planet's state leaders was assassinated, you remained as a guard under the Master's control. Can you tell us how this happened-why you served the Master?'

Miller swallowed nervously. 'I was told-we were all told-to watch what happened to the Jones family. The Master said that our families had been rounded up and thrown in prison-that if we didn't obey him to the letter, they would be tortured or killed instantly. The guys who really bought into the Master's plans were sent to the stockyards where they were building the rockets to establish the Master's presence there. The rest of us who weren't killed when the Toclafane first came were the ones converted into his guards on the Valiant.'

'So you helped him through the year,' said the Man.

'I didn't do anything,' Miller protested. 'I knew that there were guys who'd like being on the Valiant a little too much, who'd maybe enjoy bullying people if it were under orders. I thought that at least I could help by being there instead, by-'

'Being nice,' said the Man.

Miller shifted uncomfortably. 'Yeah. And I never used my gun against anyone. I never even had it off its safety setting. I did what I could for the Jones family. Got them a bit of extra food when I could, covered up any mistakes so they wouldn't get punished more.'

'And what did you think of the Doctor,' asked the Man.

The solder looked confused. 'I didn't really think anything of him. I gathered that he was from the same race as the Master, but the Master kept him prisoner for that whole year. Made him age, see, so he couldn't do anything.'

'So you had no ill will towards the Doctor. Do you now?'

Miller looked at Ten. He shook his head. 'No. Not really. Even though he did say he forgave the Master, which I thought was a bit rich, considering.'

'Yes, well,' interrupted the Man, 'we will need you to give testimony on that in another session. In the meantime, I want you to think about the events of last December, when the huge, burning planet appeared in the sky.'

'Right,' said Miller.

'You told your psychologist that you remember being possessed by the Master, that everyone around you was possessed by him. All around the world.'

'Yes, sir,' he said.

'Can you tell the court what you saw in the Master's thoughts during that time?'

Miller shifted again and cast a glance at Ten who was watching him with a frown. 'I, uh, I saw his memories. Or maybe they were memories from someone else who was also possessed by the Master. I don't know. But they felt so real, like I was there and experienced it.'

'What did you see?'

'I saw him, the Doctor, that is, on an alien ship. It was the Daleks. You know, from all the planets in the sky. That time.'

'The Dalek invasion of Earth in June of 2009, yes,' said the Man. 'Go on.'

'This was on their main ship or... or "Crucible" I think he called it. I remember him saying that they, the Daleks I mean, would go out and kill everyone if he didn't stop them. So he rigged something on a machine, and all the Daleks, well, they blew up. All of them. Not a single one was left. I remember someone shouting, "What did you do?" He killed them. I mean, I know they were alien and wanted to kill us, but he just wiped them out all in one go, with no second thought.'

Ten closed his eyes and bowed his head.

'Be very clear about this,' said the Man. 'He did not deliberate, or consider the ethics involved?'

Miller shook his head. 'No. He decided they were dangerous and then just went at it.'

'Thank you,' said the Man. 'There you have it. Testimony to the prisoner's character and delusions of godhood. Clearly he feels he has the right to hand down judgement on a race, according to his own feelings on the matter.'

The Woman strode forward. 'I would like to cross-examine this witness.'

The Man bowed his head and withdrew to his table. The Woman came and stood in front of Miller.

'You say that these could be memories of the Master, or they could be memories of another person via him. Why do you think that you have such memories when, from what I understand, no-one else on Earth remembers the time they became copies of the Master. Why do you remember and they don't?'

Miller's forehead furrowed. 'I don't know, ma'am, but maybe because I was on the Valiant and remember that? Maybe something about that experience let me remember this one too?'

The Woman looked at him keenly. 'I understand that these are the only memories you have from the Master. Given all that he could do and has done, why do you think you only remember this?'

'I don't-I don't know, ma'am,' he said. 'Maybe because I had already met the Doctor? The familiarity? Everything else feels like a jumble.'

'Forgive me for saying this, but it all sounds rather nebulous to me, considering that this is supposed to be the primary evidence for this charge.' She turned to the high desk. 'I petition for a mind scan according to the traditions of Gallifrey. I am sure that Corporal Miller is reporting to the best of his ability, but I would like to see these memories for myself.'

'Granted,' said the Voice.

'In that case,' said the Man, 'I now call on the court to allow the mind-scan of both the witness and of the prisoner. If they match, I trust that you will find the evidence valid?'

'I would find it strengthened,' said the Woman.

'Proceed,' said the Voice.

As the Man turned and walked to the back of the dais, Rose saw that Ten was staring at her. No, she corrected herself. He was staring at Eleven.

'What is it,' she asked him. 'What are they gonna do-go into their minds?'

'Exactly,' said Eleven. His voice was tense. He stared back at Ten.

'I've seen you do that before to other people,' said Rose. 'Aren't you used to this kind of thing? Isn't he?'

'It's one thing doing it to people who need help,' said Eleven, 'and I always explain what I'm doing. It's another thing going into a Time Lord's mind. And this is the last thing he needs right now.'

Martha had leaned over and heard the last few words. 'It must feel like a violation,' she murmured.

'Yes,' said Eleven. He scowled.

On the dais, the Man was walking forward again, this time accompanied by a tall being of another race.

'What's that thing on his head,' whispered Martha. 'It looks a bit like your Chamelion Arch.'

Eleven leaned back in his chair. 'I see. Ohhh, so that's how you're going to do it,' he muttered.

'Doctor?' asked Martha.

'It's an amplifier,' he said. 'The person you see there is a natural telepath. The apparatus will amplify the reading and, I imagine, broadcast the images so we can see them. They don't have the technology the Time Lords used, but this will serve the purpose.'

'Is it painful?' asked Rose.

'If you resist,' said Eleven. He leaned forward again. 'I hope this fellow doesn't, for his own sake.'

On the dais, the tall being had knelt in front of Miller.

'Are you ready?' asked the Man.

The soldier swallowed nervously. 'I-I am,' he said.

The telepath placed each hand on the sides of Miller's face. He slowly relaxed.

All was still and hushed. Rose could see Ten now watching the two, clearly fascinated in spite of his earlier reaction.

Slowly, up in the air at the front of the dais, as if on an invisible screen, images came to life. Rose started. It was the Crucible. Sounds came-shouts, the voice of Davros and of Dalek Caan. For one moment, she saw herself and Jack, and Donna. And then he was there-Ten, her Doctor, intense and vital, working the Dalek console as if he belonged there. His voice echoed throughout the ampitheatre, loud and clear:

'_With or without the Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped.'_

Without one trace of hesitation, he flipped switches, rerouted signals and... And Daleks were exploding in the thousands, millions, tops blown off and blood and flesh scattering as far as the eye could see. A voice, hoarse and distorted with shock, shouted, '_What have you done?_'

But then the images went dark and the telepath's hands slowly withdrew.

Rose found herself shuddering, and the voice of one single Dalek came to her: _I can feel. So many ideas. So much darkness._

'Please confirm for the court,' said the Man, and Rose's attention snapped back to the dais, 'that this was the memory you received from the Master.'

Miller looked dazed, and he shook his head like a dog after a swim. 'Yes, sir,' he managed. 'That was it.'

'Thank you,' said the Man. 'I recognize that this experience must have been unsettling for you.' He turned and strode towards the centre of the dais so that he faced both the high desk and the jury at the back.

'Every single Dalek was murdered at that moment,' said the Man. 'None were spared in an act of complete genocide. Their ships too were destroyed leaving not a single shred of an entire race.' He turned so that the entire audience could see him. 'Some may say the Daleks were too dangerous to live, but I ask you this: if a single person can decide that he doesn't like a race and therefore he will eradicate it, what stops him from deciding that you too are... "unacceptable". Genocide is a crime against the universe, no matter who is involved.'

The lights came up and the sound barriers down. The audience roared forth its disapproval, some screaming and stamping at their seats. The bedlam hit Rose like a physical blow and she cowered, hands over her ears.

When the din lessened, she looked up at Ten. His head was bowed, and his hands were in fists. 'Oh, Doctor,' she whispered.

But the Man spoke again and the sound and light barriers descended once more. The ampitheatre was quiet again.

'And so we have one mind scan completed. I apologize to the court and to our audience for the graphic nature of what we have just seen. But one more mind scan remains.'

He walked forward, and as he did so, the telepath stood and followed him. When they stopped in front of Ten, the glowing blue circle that surrounded his chair parted and the two halves slid backwards and behind the backrest. The telepath knelt in front of Ten. Ten's eyes were open now and he looked warily at the telepath. Rose felt Eleven stiffen beside her. Once more the telepath reached up and placed each hand on the sides of Ten's face. Ten sat very still, but Rose could see the tension in every part of his body.

Unlike with Miller, the telepath waited a moment, and then shifted the hands slightly as if searching for a better position. After another attempt, the telepath leaned forward and finally pressed all fingertips hard against Ten's temples. Ten made a strangled sound as if in pain.

'Don't resist,' Rose said urgently. 'Don't let it hurt you.'

'He may not be able to help it,' said Eleven in a harsh whisper. 'Too much is going on in there already. Protective instinct.'

The telepath pressed harder and Ten cried out. Suddenly, his body jerked and he went still, his face slack and his eyes wide.

For a moment nothing happened, although Rose could hear her own breath loud in her ears. Beside her, Eleven gripped his armrests.

Slowly, as before, images flickered to life at the front of the dais. This time they were from a different perspective. Rose saw herself again briefly to the side, but Davros, and Dalek Caan behind him, were the centre of attention. Dalek Caan was speaking, madness bubbling through every reedy sound: '_I have seen the end of everything Dalek and you must make it happen, Doctor.'_ But overlaid all was swirling, streaming strands of blue, spiralling into the centre.

The telepath pressed harder against Ten and leaned in further almost so that their bodies touched. Ten gasped. The swirling patterns of blue faded slightly and through it the images of the Crucible became more vibrant.

And then came Ten's voice, deeper and reverberating as if, it seemed to Rose, it were coming from her own body: _'He's right, 'cause with or without the Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped.'_ Images streamed around the screen, and she realized that it was what Ten saw as he danced his hands across the controls, looked at readings and watched the Daleks. '_Maximizing Dalekanium power feeds. Blasting them back!' _And then he pulled the final lever with a flourish and the Daleks began to explode.

The images darkened and disappeared, and the telepath withdrew and staggered back. The Man came forward, but after one look at the telepath's face, he immediately gestured to the back of the dais. The telepath disappeared quickly.

'Clearly an unpleasant experience,' he said. 'I wish to thank the Mind Scanner for a selfless attempt to serve the court.' He looked at Ten who was slumped in his chair, eyes closed. 'As the court can see, the mind scans both confirm what took place.' He turned to the Woman. 'I trust that you find the evidence "strengthened".'

The Woman's voice was subdued. 'I wish to petition the court for a recess to allow my client time to recover.'

The Voice spoke. 'Granted. The court will reconvene at the same time tomorrow.'

But when the guards uncoupled Ten's shackles and hauled him to his feet, he collapsed. The sound of his body hitting the floor was loud and Rose winced. The guards merely stooped and picked him up by his arms. As they propelled him forward, Rose could see him begin to clumsily place his feet step by step. Half walking and half dragged, he disappeared at the back of the dais along with his guards.

Soon Rose and Martha too were moving, following Eleven who took the steps two at a time, his hands balled into fists.

'Wait, Doctor!' said Martha, but he ignored them and they followed as quickly as they could. But in the hallway, the crush of bodies pushed at them, and even though guards tried to clear a path, beings shouted at them and jostled them. Yells of 'murderer' and 'guilty' battered their ears.

But when they made it through to the Tardis, and they closed the door on the din outside, they found Eleven pacing back and forth in front of the console, muttering loudly.

'Can't use the Tardis, can't scan. Sonic screwdriver's out. Impersonation-that's out. They'd spot it in a minute. Chameleon arch... only changes internal physiology. Not appearance.' He turned his head and saw them. 'Stupid, stupid,' he shouted. 'Forcing their way in like that. Can't they possibly comprehend the kind of damage they can do?'

Martha put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. 'He's conscious, Doctor. You saw him. He was beginning to walk on his own.'

'Barely,' said Eleven. He ran his hands through his hair. 'If they've hurt him-oh, what stupid posturing. Of course they've hurt him. Bloody fools.'

'Hey!' said Martha, alarmed. 'Let's see how he is before getting worked up.'

Eleven rounded on her, and she took a step back. 'I've already seen how he is. Going into the mind of a Time Lord...' He stopped and sat down on the jump seat, breathing hard. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'There is so much more involved than for other species. And to be forced like that, by a non-Time Lord, by someone who doesn't understand...'

Rose sat down shakily beside him. 'That Time Vortex as well-too much, yeah? He couldn't help protecting himself, you said.'

Eleven visibly forced himself to calm down further. He nodded. 'Otherwise he might have been able to allow the scan, help the telepath, even, if he wished to. But not this time. Not this time.'

Rose put her arms around him, and he responded, resting his chin on the top of her head. She could feel him shaking and she tightened her hold. After a moment, she felt Martha put her arms around them both. Around them, the lights dimmed slightly, almost as if the Tardis too joined them.

_To be continued_


	10. A Meeting of Minds

**Chapter 10:** _A Meeting of Minds_

* * *

><p>Martha was the first one to break the hug.<p>

'I'm sorry,' she said, 'but they told me yesterday that I could visit him again after court. I need to know if there's anything I can do for him, especially after what just happened.'

Eleven straightened and nodded. Rose sat back.

'Right. Thanks. Yeah. But there's not anything you can do beyond what you're doing. If this had happened on Gallifrey, it would be different. But here... no-one can help him. I could, maybe, but I can't get near him.'

'I'm sorry,' said Martha. 'I'll do what I can.'

But as soon as Martha had left the console room, Eleven stood up. 'Did you hear something,' he asked. 'Is someone at the door?'

But before Rose could reply, a loud knocking sounded through the room.

'I thought so,' he said. He bounded down the steps, ran to the door and yanked it open. It was the Woman.

Rose joined him and stood looking at the Defence Counsel. Behind her, the crowd still roared its disapproval. No-one spoke for a moment, and Rose could sense that Eleven was restraining himself.

At last the Woman stirred. 'I need your help,' she said simply.

Eleven said nothing, but he brought up his arm and pointed the sonic screwdriver at her. She waited patiently while it whirred. Finally Eleven stopped the scan and lowered his arm.

'All right,' he said, shortly. 'Come in.'

They shut the door on the noise outside. Eleven promptly sat down on the top step of the stairs in front of the console platform. Rose looked at him and then at the Woman. She moved to the railing and leaned against it.

'It went badly today,' the Woman said.

Eleven merely looked at her.

'I didn't realize that the scan would harm him. I'm sorry.'

He didn't move a muscle.

'After what happened today, I don't know how he can avoid the death penalty,' she said, her voice beginning to rise.

'Doctor,' whispered Rose.

The Woman looked at her sharply and then back at Eleven.

'Why do you persist in this charade?' she demanded.

Eleven rose to his feet and, in one smooth jump, landed at the bottom of the steps. 'Because I am the Doctor. However, since _you_ persist in not believing me, you may call me Eleven.' He stood directly in front of her. She took a step back. 'Now, what you hope to achieve by coming here?'

She looked at Rose and then back at him. 'If you truly are the Doctor, then exactly who is in our prison?'

Eleven shook his head. 'You don't need to know. You don't believe me anyway. So!' He clapped his hands and rubbed them together briskly. 'What can we do for you?'

The Woman scowled. 'The Doctor... All right, what do _you_ call him?'

'Ten,' said Eleven. 'Go on.'

She took a deep breath. 'The Doctor... Ten... has all but already earned the death penalty. The rest of the charges are hardly necessary, but must be completed for the victims' justice. I have been appointed to serve him to the best of my ability, but after today, I cannot do that alone. The mind scans damaged his case too much. He has not offered me anything to use as counter-evidence. In fact, he has not offered me anything at all. It is almost as if he does not care if he is found guilty.'

'I told the court he was ill,' said Eleven. 'And after what happened today, you'll find him in worse condition. He's a victim of your court, Madam Counsel.'

The Woman nodded. 'I am inclined to agree with you.' She stood a little straighter. 'Nevertheless, that will not change anything. The sessions will not be stopped or delayed. So I say again, I need your help. Strictly speaking, I should not ask this of someone who has claimed the identity of the accused. However, I see no alternative, and I can see that you care about him deeply.'

Rose looked at Eleven. 'Yes, he does,' she mused. 'He didn't before.'

Both Eleven and the Woman stared at her. 'Before?' asked the Woman.

'A year ago,' said Rose. 'But now... he's changed. But he did that before your goons kidnapped the Doctor, so don't go thinking this is some strategic thing. It's real.'

'Anyway,' said Eleven loudly, 'if you really want help, I need to see him. As I told you before, I'm a Time Lord and am the only one who can do anything for him right now.'

'But you want help for legal stuff too, yeah?' said Rose.

The Woman nodded.

'Then we will need to come and go in the Tardis as we please,' said Eleven.

'I will try to arrange it,' she said. 'In the meantime, the court telepath confirmed what you said. The Doctor does need help. I have managed to gain permission for you to visit him just this once, as an emergency measure, but that would be all.'

'It won't be enough,' said Eleven. 'Not anywhere near enough.'

'Can I come?' burst out Rose.

The Woman hesitated.

'She's his life partner,' said Eleven.

'We can try,' said the Woman. 'Come then. Where is your physician?'

'She is getting ready for her own visit to see him,' said Eleven.

'I'll get her,' said Rose.

But as she started up the steps, Martha appeared. 'I heard voi-oh!' She scurried down the steps. 'I can still visit him, right?' she asked.

'We're all going, it seems,' Eleven informed her.

'That's more like it!' said Martha. 'I've got what I need.' She patted the bag she carried.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Once they had completed the scans and searches, the Shadow Proclamation allowed them all through. Rose found the journey there to be exactly as Martha described. The sterile corridors stretched in all directions, and she could not see any identifying markers. Even what looked like computer screens in the walls only flickered to life with a directional arrow as they passed. She could also see the illumination brighten in the section of corridor they currently passed through and dim again. It was as if they travelled in a bubble of light, and all else was dark around them. She lost all sense of direction and found herself pressing close to Eleven. She didn't want to think of what would happen if she got separated from the group.

Finally they arrived at the room where they held Ten. Although the guards did not follow them in, Rose knew that the courtesy was deceptive. All the walls were transparent and there were many people watching-guards, officials, and other doctors, she thought. The floors and ceilings were white, and all was pristine, sterile. Her stomach clenched. She could see Ten lying on a simple, low bed. She could not tell what condition he was in.

'I'm sorry that we cannot give you more privacy,' said the Woman. 'Allowing the three of you in at the same time means some concessions must be made.'

'It will do,' said Eleven. He approached the bed. Martha stayed back.

Rose followed with trepidation and made her way around the other side. Ten's eyes were closed, and it seemed to her at first as if he were sleeping peacefully. But then she saw the furrow between his eyebrows and the clenching of his teeth. As she knelt, she placed a hand on the bed to steady herself and she felt a thin, flexible metal cable beneath her fingers. Startled, she looked down and saw that restraints were attached to Ten's wrists and ankles.

'Doctor,' she murmured. 'I'm here.'

He opened his eyes and saw her.

'Rose,' he whispered.

Rose caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers. 'They're letting me visit for a bit. Just a bit.'

Ten seized her hand in both of his and pressed it to his lips. 'Oh, Rose,' he said.

She sat on the edge of the bed. 'You all right?'

He said nothing.

Eleven too sat on his side of the bed. 'They are going to let me help you, if you want it. Can you sit up?'

For just a moment, a look of anger crossed Ten's face, but it was gone so fast that Rose wondered if she had imagined it. He nodded and, letting go of Rose's hand, he pushed himself up to face Eleven and swung his legs down so his feet rested on the floor. As he did so, the restraints lengthened, clearly just enough to allow him some movement but no more than was necessary.

Hesitantly, Rose gently laid her hands on his shoulders from behind, ready to draw them back if they weren't welcome. Her caution wasn't needed. Ten immediately reached up, took both her hands, drew them down and clasped them hard to his chest. She scrambled to kneel on the bed behind him, her chest against his back and her knees on either side of him. He was too tall for her to keep her arms comfortably over his shoulders and so, with her hands still clasped in front, she brought her arms down around him. He murmured something unintelligible and leaned back into her embrace. She lightly rested her chin on his shoulder.

'Good,' said Eleven. 'Good. Yes, that's good.' He knelt down in front of Ten. He raised his hands. 'May I?'

Rose could feel Ten swallow and then nod. She felt the bristle of his sideburn against her cheek.

Eleven slowly, ever so slowly, touched his fingertips to Ten's temples. His knuckles brushed against Rose's forehead and she began to move away. But Eleven shook his head and mouthed, 'It's okay.'

She relaxed. Behind Eleven, she could see all the people silently staring. She shut her eyes.

'That's it,' she heard Eleven say. 'You know what I'm going to do. Relax. I won't do anything you don't want me to do.'

She felt Ten's breathing quicken. She tightened her embrace, hoping it was encouraging and not restraining.

'That's it,' Eleven murmured. 'Let me in. Just relax. Open.'

Rose felt Ten shudder once, a tiny movement. Unlike in the courtroom, he made no sound.

'Yes,' Eleven said. 'Good. Good. There we are.'

Ten's body relaxed. His head rested against hers, trapping Eleven's fingertips between them. Eleven didn't seem to mind.

They stayed like that for some time. Eleven no longer spoke, but Rose knew that there was no need now. Somewhere in Ten's mind, the two Time Lords were in some communication that she couldn't possibly understand. A sudden intense feeling of loneliness swept over her. She opened her eyes and, amongst the crowd, she saw Martha watching her. Even though she looked worried, Martha smiled at Rose and nodded. Rose smiled back and closed her eyes once more. Ten's cheek was warm against hers and his hands still clasped hers as if he would never let go.

Then Ten slumped and his hands fell to his lap. His body was heavy in Rose's arms. Eleven's fingers withdrew, and Rose shifted to hold Ten up.

'It's okay,' Eleven said. 'Let him sleep.'

Between them, they laid Ten back down, Rose cradling his head, and Eleven lifted his legs up onto the bed. Rose leaned down and kissed his forehead.

'He'll sleep for a good while if none of you disturb him,' Eleven said to the Woman, and behind her, the watchers. 'If you make any claim to taking care of your prisoners, you'll do that for him.'

The Woman nodded. 'He won't be disturbed.'

'Martha,' said Eleven, 'he's all yours.' But before he moved aside, he brushed back Ten's hair from his forehead.

Rose watched as Martha took Eleven's spot and took things out of her bag. Martha was so deft and quick that although she checked Ten's vital signs, drew another sample of his blood and gave him an injection, there was no reaction whatsoever.

Rose gazed at Ten's face. It was utterly relaxed with no sign of strain. She longed to touch him again, to trace the long, sweeping eyebrows, or stroke the curving bridge of his nose. She felt starved for his touch, but she knew that his one chance for peaceful sleep was vital.

'Come on, Rose,' said Eleven. She started. He was leaning over her. Martha was standing, her bag repacked. 'We've got to go.'

She stood slowly, never taking her gaze from Ten. 'How long will he sleep?' she asked.

'A few hours at least,' said Eleven. 'All night as well if we're lucky.' He put an arm around her shoulders and gently steered her away. She let him guide her forward, but she looked back as long as she could.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'All right,' said Eleven. 'Enough reacting. Time for action. Let's see if she is true to her word.' He spun a dial, pounded a button with his fist and finally pulled on a lever.

The time rotor rose and fell and the Tardis wheezed.

'So far, so good,' he said. 'We've cleared their shields. Right then. Jump into action. Ideas?'

'I want to return to London,' said Martha. 'See if I can see my mum and find out what's going on. I also need to report back to UNIT. They also might have some information that can help.'

'I doubt they'll let you near your mother during the trial,' said Eleven. 'Ten to one, she's being kept on the base.'

'All right,' she said. 'See my family, then. Maybe they can tell me something. Anything.'

'London it is.' Eleven twisted the monitor to face him and he tapped a control. 'Do me a favour, would you?'

'Anything.' She looked at him questioningly.

'Look up Donna. See if she's all right,' he said. 'I can't see her being useful to the people pulling the strings, but I'd like to make sure.'

'You bet,' Martha said firmly. 'I'll call you if there is any problem.'

'What about us,' asked Rose. 'What can we do?'

'We,' said Eleven, 'are going to find Jack, and perhaps, through him, maybe this John Hart fellow. It sounds like he has access to some information about who's behind this whole charade.'

He reached over, pulled the pinball trigger, and whacked another control with his mallet.

'Off we go!'

_To be continued_


	11. Looking for Jack

_Pilcrow:_ I'm glad you're enjoying the tale. :)

_Dreamcatcher49:_ Thank you! Yes, Martha is a bit of a buffer between all the others, isn't she.

_Ariel3:_ You are very welcome for the extra helping of Angst! I'm always happy to oblige. And, yes, I agree with you-Ten _does_ 'hurt' very well, doesn't he. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11:<strong> _Looking for Jack_

* * *

><p>The echo of their landing reverberated throughout the ship. As Rose and Eleven walked towards the doors, Amy and Rory came almost tumbling down the stairs in their haste.<p>

'You've moved the Tardis,' said Amy breathlessly. 'Two times. I could feel it. I want to help. Tell me we can help, Doctor.'

Eleven looked wordlessly at Rose. She shrugged. He turned back to the couple. 'All right,' he said, 'as long as you don't go wandering off. We're in a bar. A very big bar. A bar easy to get lost in.'

'On Earth?' asked Rory.

'No,' said Eleven. 'Not on Earth. In space. Full of aliens. You're always wanting to see more aliens, you two, so this should be just what you want. Try not to stare too much.'

Amy's eyes gleamed. 'So what are we doing?'

'Don't get lost,' said Eleven.

'Doctor,' said Amy warningly.

'Oh, all right then,' said Eleven. 'We're looking for a fellow who goes by "Captain Jack Harkness". Tall-'

'Handsome,' supplied Rose. Eleven glanced at her. 'Sorry,' she said.

'-wears a great coat. American accent,' finished Eleven. 'Don't ask around for him. Just keep your eyes and ears open. And...'

'Yes, I know.' Amy sighed. 'Don't wander off.'

Eleven opened one of the Tardis doors. Its creak was lost in the loud music that invaded the control room. He peered outside. 'Good,' he said with satisfaction. 'We're in a corridor behind the bar. Easy to get in and out. Come on!'

They all filed out after him. Almost immediately there was a door behind which the music thumped. 'Right,' he said. 'News of the trial may or may not have reached here. If it has, Rose and I might be recognized. Amy and Rory should be fine. So, it's best if we split up. Amy and Rory, you two go through here. Rose and I will find another way. Again, don't ask about Jack. We don't want to tip our hand. Leave questions to me. Mind you, there aren't a lot of humans around in this century, so you might pick up some free information just by association.'

'Sorry?' asked Rory.

Rose turned to him. 'He means we're human, Jack's human. People...aliens gossip in bars. They'll assume we'll wanna know any news about other humans.'

'Right,' said Rory. 'That makes sense. I think. Do we buy drinks?'

'_How_ do we buy drinks,' asked Amy.

Eleven pulled out a short glass rod from his pocket. 'I think I filled this up last time I was here.' He tossed it to Rory who caught it. 'Drinks are fine. Just don't have any of the purple stuff.' He opened the door. 'Off you go, and stay out of trouble. Incognito.'

Amy gave him an arch look as she followed Rory through the doorway. 'We always stay out of trouble!'

Eleven closed the door. 'Right. Let's find another entrance.'

They walked further down the corridor. 'So,' said Rose, 'you've been here before. When was that?'

Eleven shrugged. 'Not that long ago.' He peered further down the corridor.

'Tell me,' she said. 'After we last saw you?'

'Yes,' he said.

'Come on,' said Rose. 'I bet you had an adventure here. Or perhaps a secret meeting. Do tell.'

'Just saying goodbye to an old friend,' said Eleven shortly. His expression cleared. 'So! You'll never guess what they have in this place.'

Rose raised her eyebrows.

'A jukebox,' said Eleven triumphantly. 'Filled with golden oldies from Earth. Contraband, really, since Earth is still a protected planet. But human culture is quite a hit with aliens. Can't get enough of it: Elvis, Beatles, Sinatra, showtunes from all the great musicals, Queen, Rolling Stones. It's got 45s and a turntable and everything!'

'Sorry,' said Rose. '45s?'

'Singles. 45s. Cor! Don't tell me you don't know what those are?'

She shook her head. 'Singles, yeah. Mum still has a few. They're a kind of record.'

'Small record. Has a faster rotational time than the 33s.'

'Whatever,' Rose said.

'33s. LPs. That's "long player" to you. Ah ha! We can get in this way.' With a flourish, he pulled open the door and bowed to her. 'After you.'

'Why, thank you, gallant sir,' said Rose. She walked through into the din of voices and music and straight into a Judoon.

'No po ro ho cho!' thundered the warrior.

'No ho cho fo ro,' bellowed Eleven. 'Sorry,' he said mildly to Rose. He took her elbow and steered her around the Judoon and further into the bar.

'Wh-what was that all about?' she stuttered. 'Is he following us?'

'No, no,' said Eleven. He leaned in close to her ear. 'Not all Judoon work for the Proclamation. It's just that their obsession with rules and justice make them ideal enforcers. Look around. Everyone comes here.'

Rose gazed around the room. At the near end of the counter, she could see a Slitheen bellied up to the bar and nursing a multi-coloured drink. _Raxacoricofallapatorian_, she corrected herself. As she looked around, she realized with a start that there was a Sycorax with another alien she didn't recognize.

'Doctor,' she whispered. 'I-'

'Don't call me that here,' he said quickly. 'A lot of species have better hearing than humans. Keeping up the charade will serve our purposes better if we want to hear things.'

'Gotcha. Sorry, er... Eleven.' She grimaced. 'Shouldn't we mingle?'

Eleven nodded and headed for the nearest corner where the counter turned and jutted out into a U shape in the middle of the room. He pulled out a stool for Rose and sat down. She clambered onto the stool. As she looked past him to the bar, she could see long rows of bottles with varying colours of liquid. Some of the contents moved. Up on the wall directly behind Eleven was the biggest screen in the bar. Colourful, rapidly moving images made her blink and look away.

Almost immediately one of the bartenders came. He was a young, fresh-faced humanoid. 'Drink?' he asked.

'Virgin Caesar for me,' said Eleven. 'Lots of Worcestershire, please.' He turned to Rose.

'Uh... Do they have beer here?' she asked.

'What kind?' asked the man.

Rose shrugged. 'Lager? Surprise me.'

The bartender nodded and moved away. Rose stared at Eleven. 'Virgin Caesar? What's that?'

'Clam and tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco,' he said. 'Vodka too if you want alcohol. Great drink.'

'So, if it's alien, why are they using Earth products?' she asked

'It's not alien. It's from Earth. Like I told you, they love your stuff here. Music, drinks-any of your culture.'

'I've never heard of Virgin Caesars,' objected Rose.

'You wouldn't have. It's from Canada. For some reason it never caught on elsewhere. Shame. But like I said, great drink. Usually I have to go to Calgary or Vancouver to get one, but this bar has it too. Too much salt though. I'll have to have a banana later to make up for it.'

Rose stared at him for one long moment and then she burst out laughing. She clutched at the bar to stop toppling over. Tears came to her eyes and she wiped them away with her sleeve.

'Oh,' she gasped between giggles. 'Okay. Not _that_ funny.'

Eleven grinned. The corners of his eyes crinkled. 'It's all right. Laughter is good. You need it. Does you good. A lot of good.' He reached into a pocket and pulled out a banana. He brandished it at her. 'I command you to laugh.'

Rose very nearly did fall off the stool this time. Her peals of laughter carried, and her chest heaved. 'You and your bananas,' she gasped. 'Some things never change.'

Eleven pocketed the banana with a self-satisfied air. 'I certainly hope not. Constant of the universe, that's me.'

Other people at the bar were looking at them. Eleven grinned at them too and waved. The bartender came and put their drinks in front of them. Rose stared at Eleven's drink. The mound of garnishes was almost as tall as the glass itself.

'They do like their decorations,' she said.

Eleven removed the tiny pink umbrella. He opened it. 'For some reason, they love the little umbrellas. Completely wrong for this drink, but they don't care. If the drink calls for decoration, on it goes.' He tucked the open umbrella behind his ear. 'Cheers.' He raised his glass.

'You goof,' said Rose, giggling once more. She raised her own drink and clinked it with his. Through the distortion of the curved glass, she briefly saw that the television screen had changed its broadcast to a news feature.

'Ahh,' said Eleven. He put down his glass. 'I've been craving one of these since I regenerated. One of the peculiarities of this body.'

'Face it,' said Rose. 'You're peculiar, no matter what body you're in.' She took a pull at her own drink. 'Hmm... what's this? Tastes good.'

He took her glass, bent his head close and took a deep sniff. 'Stella Artois, I should think,' he said. When he raised his head, Rose saw the tip of his nose covered in foam.

A bellow from behind her made her jump. When she turned around, she saw a tall alien with a curious breathing apparatus on its face pointing at Eleven and holding its stomach with its other limb. It nodded at her in the midst of its snorts and gave her a thumbs-up.

Rose grinned and gave a thumbs-up back to the alien. 'See, others think you're a goof too.'

'Life of the party,' said Eleven. He swiped at the tip of his nose with his finger and licked off the foam.

'Can't take you anywhere, mate.' She retrieved her drink and took another pull. But when she looked up again, she stopped grinning. Eleven looked at her and then followed the direction of her gaze to the screen behind him.

A large picture of Ten dominated the display. Rose could barely hear the voice-over of the announcer over the hubbub. Several bars of subtitles scrolled along the bottom of the screen at varying speeds, too crowded and quick for her to read clearly.

She pulled at Eleven's sleeve. 'What are they saying,' she asked urgently.

Still looking at the screen, he said quietly, 'They're reporting on the outcome of this morning's session, and that he's expected to be found guilty. There was no introduction, so clearly the court case is already a well-known story. I just hope they won't show pictures of us too, or it might make getting information a bit more difficult.'

The bartender wandered up to them, drying a glass. He nodded towards the screen. 'You know he came here about half a year ago, right?'

'Really?' asked Rose. She looked at Eleven. 'What did he do?'

The bartender put the glass down and reached back for another. 'Gave me a note to pass on to a chap at the end of the bar. Right over there.' He pointed. 'Polite guy, the Doctor, but kind of morose. Maybe feeling bad about what he did.'

'Maybe,' said Eleven. 'What about the chap at the bar?'

The bartender laughed. 'He, the Doctor, I mean, was match-making. I read the note. He wasn't keeping it secret or anything. Introduced his friend to a guy next to him.'

'So what happened?' asked Rose.

'The Doctor just left. But I can tell you his friend had quite a long conversation with the new guy. Those two left together.'

Eleven nodded. 'Cool. Has he come back since? The friend, I mean.'

The bartender shrugged. 'Yeah. He's been back a couple of times. Once with the new chap, once without. But not since that crazy scheme of his.'

'Sounds like you know him quite well,' said Eleven.

'If people drink up and leave, I might remember their face. But this guy makes a bit of a splash. Add gloomy guys and match-making... Makes you notice and remember. That's a bartender's job.'

'Quite right,' said Eleven firmly. 'You mentioned some scheme.'

The bartender laughed. 'Yeah. He told me himself. He was as gloomy as the Doctor. He said he was gonna go to some monks' planet for meditation or retreat or something.'

'What?' said Rose. She stared at Eleven. 'Jack?'

'Jack, eh?' said the bartender. 'Sounds like _you_ know him well.'

'We've run into him a few times,' said Eleven. 'Enough to know names. I'm curious. What's this monks' planet?'

'Sorry. That's all I know. You might want to try asking the Pilgrims if you know how. They're on the move.'

'Right,' said Eleven. 'Where are they going this year?'

'Not sure. I think someone mentioned something about the Attreddis cluster.' A customer tapped on the bar and the bartender nodded at him. 'Sorry. Gotta go.'

'Thanks,' said Eleven.

'Pilgrims?' asked Rose.

'Odd lot,' he said. 'I like them.' He removed the rest of the garnishes from his drink and drained the glass in one swallow. 'Right. I wonder what Amy and Rory are up to.'

'I don't think you want to know,' said Rose, and she tilted her head to the right. Eleven looked over and started.

'What is she doing?' he whispered.

Amy was sitting near the far end of the bar at a table opposite a burly alien with scales. Elbow on the table, her hand nearly disappeared in the clasp of his massive paw. A crowd was gathering. Rory hovered, fretting.

'Are... are they arm-wrestling?' asked Eleven with what sounded to Rose like a note of awe mixed into horrified fascination.

'Looks like,' she said. 'I wanna see this.' She picked up her beer and made her way to the scene. Eleven followed.

As they drew closer, they could hear Amy's voice rising defiantly above the hubbub.

'Come on, alien boy. Put your money where your mouth is.'

The alien let out a rumbling laugh and, almost gently, pushed Amy's arm down to the table. He got up and strode away through the crowd. Amy tossed her hair.

'Doesn't matter,' she said. 'Twice my size. Anyone else wanna tell me humans are weak?' She scanned the crowd. Most of the aliens grinned, laughed or made some similar, alien gesture. No-one moved until an Adipose hopped up on the table and held out a tiny hand.

'Awww,' said Amy. She held out a finger. The Adipose gripped the tip. Very slowly, Amy lowered her finger to the table and the alien bent over, its hand still clinging to hers. As soon as the tiny hand touched the table, the Adipose let go, straightened and cooed. It hopped off the table.

'Well fought,' said Amy. 'I think. Anyone else?' She turned her head and spotted Rose. 'Hey, you!'

Rose put up her hands. 'I didn't say humans were weak.'

'Doesn't matter,' said Amy. 'You've got issues. Everyone has issues. Show me you can handle them.'

'What?' asked Rose.

Amy slapped the table. 'Sit down,' she ordered.

'Sorry,' said Rose. 'I don't think so.'

'Good,' said Eleven loudly from behind her. 'I didn't bring you here to start arm-wrestling with the locals.' He took her hand and pulled her through the crowd and back to the Tardis.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Amy and Rory appeared half an hour later. Amy was somewhat disheveled. Rose watched from her perch on the jump-seat.

'So!' said Eleven, his jaw clenched. 'How many more aliens did you accost after we left?'

'Enough,' said Amy. She cradled her arm gingerly. 'So where are we going now?'

'Far away from any bars,' said Eleven. He moved around the console. 'We're off to chase some Pilgrims.'

'That sounds safer,' said Rory. 'I think.'

But when Eleven brought the Tardis out from the vortex with a vicious tug on a lever, Rose didn't feel the familiar thunk of settling on ground.

'Where are we?' she asked.

'Near a trail, I hope,' said Eleven.

'In space?' Rose peered up at the monitor. As usual, it only showed her the enigmatic Gallifreyan script.

'Yes,' said Eleven. 'Now we wait.' He leaned back against the console and crossed his arms, facing Amy. 'Mind telling me what you were doing in the bar? I thought I said, "incognito". In-cog-ni-to. I like that word: incognito. Nice rhythm. Good meaning.'

Amy scowled. 'That alien said humans are weak.'

'They are,' said Eleven shortly. 'What of it?'

'No, we aren't!' Amy put her hands on her hips and glared at Eleven.

'Physically, we are,' said Rory. 'When you think about...' A glare from Amy silenced him.

'A third of your time asleep, weak respiratory systems, a hard time lifting your own body weight-that will do for starters,' said Eleven. 'Next time someone calls you weak, shrug and move on. Hello!'

This last was directed at the monitor.

'Pilgrims?' Rose perked up.

'I believe so,' said Eleven. 'This trail looked busy. I didn't think it would take long for more to appear. Rose, I'll need your help.' He jumped down over the edge of the platform and dove under the glass. A moment later he emerged with a cable and a long piece of rope. He passed them up to Rose before hoisting himself up onto the platform once more. 'Right. Tie this to that lever over there.'

'What can we do,' asked Amy.

'Rather you didn't,' said Rose. 'I think you've done enough.' She crossed her arms.

'Go back to your honeymoon,' said Eleven, not looking up from tying the rope to the stair railing nearest the door.

'We want to help,' said Rory.

'You'll help by not being here,' said Eleven. 'Complete your mating rituals. Arm wrestle. I don't care. Just... don't... be here.'

'Hey,' said Rory indignantly.

Both Eleven's hands gripped the rope. His voice was low, quiet and hard. 'If we can't help, Ten is going to be executed. I can't let that happen. I can't. Forgive me, Rory, if I don't find Amy's antics particularly helpful right now.'

After Amy and Rory left, Amy rather sulkily, Rose squatted down beside Eleven. 'S'pose we were rather harsh.'

'Not a bit. She called attention to herself, and to us when she challenged you. We're not here to prove human prowess.' Eleven gave the rope one final sharp tug and stood up. 'And this, meeting the Pilgrims, is going to require some finesse.'

Rose straightened. 'Yeah. I know.' She looked at the rope. 'Finesse?'

Eleven played the rope out through his hands until he reached the doors. A good amount of the rope remained. 'Yes. I need clear heads. Whatever you do, don't antagonize.' He opened the door. 'Bring that cable down here.'

Rose picked up the other end of the cable she had fastened to the lever and pulled it after her. She reached the door. Clear, sharp stars shone in the blackness around them. Wisps of a nebula glimmered ahead of them.

'Beautiful,' Rose whispered.

'Look right,' said Eleven. He began to tie the rope around himself.

Rose realized that they were very slowly drifting. She looked to the right. A small, dark ship was approaching.

Eleven pulled out the sonic screwdriver. 'Hand me the cable, would you?'

Rose put the end in his hand. Eleven took it. 'Right. Hold the rope and keep me steady. Let it out slowly when I tell you.'

Letting go of the door frame with one hand, he leaned outward. Rose stood a pace behind him and kept the rope taut. She could see the nose of the ship come into view through the door. Eleven pulled on the cable. Rose glanced behind her and saw the lever move. The Tardis drew closer to the ship.

Eleven raised his free hand and pointed the sonic screwdriver at the ship. No whirring sound came, but the tip of the screwdriver flashed rapidly in patterns that Rose couldn't follow. He lowered his hand.

They waited. The dark ship glided silently beside them, matching their speed.

'Was that Morse Code?' whispered Rose.

'Something like that,' said Eleven. He didn't turn his head.

The answer came. Through a round portal in the ship, a series of flashes returned, faster and more complex than Eleven sent. He answered, and soon a rapid-fire exchange reached from ship to ship. Rose hung on to the rope and watched, fascinated.

The flashing stopped. For a moment, nothing happened, but as Eleven still watched the ship intently, Rose waited. Slowly, something opened on the ship. A thin aperture widened until a rounded, rectangular doorway appeared. Through the doorway, a dark, hooded figure emerged.

'Let the rope out,' said Eleven as he quickly tied the cable to the door handle. 'Out until I'm halfway. Slowly, same as our friend over there.'

Rose gulped. Bracing one foot against the door jamb, she let the rope out hand over hand. But her fears were unfounded. She didn't have to bear Eleven's weight at all. Rather, he floated calmly away from the Tardis and towards the alien.

'No gravity in space,' Rose chided herself. Bit by bit, she played out the rope, hoping she matched the speed and distance of the mysterious being coming towards them. Finally, Eleven aimed the sonic screwdriver back at her and flashed it once. She gripped the rope and hung on.

The Doctor and the Pilgrim had met halfway. A rope also trailed behind the alien and into the ship. Rose peered at the alien, but the features were obscured by the robes.

Eleven pressed his palms together and bowed his head. The Pilgrim did likewise. Then both raised their hands and pressed their palms against each other. When this was done, the Pilgrim rested one hand against Eleven's left shoulder. Eleven did likewise. Then, slowly, very slowly, they embraced each other. Rose blinked. She could clearly see the alien's hands now. Long, curved claws rested against Eleven's back.

Finally they separated, and Eleven, without looking back, flashed his screwdriver at Rose. She began to pull. Slowly, slowly, she matched the speed of the Pilgrim who was also being pulled back into its ship. Both Eleven and the Pilgrim still faced each other, calmly letting themselves be drawn backwards into their ships.

Eleven reached the doors and smoothly stepped into the pull of the Tardis' gravity field. Once more, he raised his hand. Quick flashes spoke back and forth from his screwdriver and from the portal of the dark ship. Rose watched but still couldn't determine any recognizable pattern.

At last, the flashing stopped, and Eleven stepped backwards and closed the doors.

'Right,' he said. 'Good. On our way.'

'That's it?' asked Rose.

'That's it,' he said. 'We have some new friends. Nice friends. Handy to have in a pinch, I should imagine.'

'So, what did they say,' she asked. 'Do they know where Jack is?'

'They have no idea where Jack is,' he said. 'But never fear. They know the planet that the bartender was referring to. A retreat planet. Not a planet in retreat, though that would be interesting to see. No. An entire planet for people to retreat to. Monks, pilgrims, criminals bettering themselves... anyone. Anyone who needs to...'

'Retreat,' said Rose. 'Got it. But that's hardly Jack. He'd laugh at all that stuff.'

'Yeah,' said Eleven. 'He would. The old Jack would. Now? I'm not so sure. But we'll soon find out.'

_To be continued_


	12. A Trail of Clues

_Review Responses_

_Bianca Bubbles:_I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. Amy and the Adipose were so much fun to write. In fact, I've found I enjoy writing Amy any time she steps onto the page, so-to-speak. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 12:<strong> _A Trail of Clues_

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><p>Martha was waiting for them outside Charing Cross station. They had all agreed that it was better for the Tardis to not appear near her mother's home.<p>

'You were right,' said Martha. 'My mother wasn't there, and Tish and Leo didn't know anything. I mean, they knew about the trial, but not where it was being held. Apparently she only told them the day she left, and she didn't give any contact information. They're pretty upset as they figure the Doctor didn't deserve this. But Mum's behaviour began to change. It was subtle so they didn't make anything of it until she up and left.'

'How did it change?' asked Eleven.

'Apparently she became more secretive, went to more psychologist's appointments and started to complain about the Doctor, well, you, I suppose.'

He nodded. 'What about UNIT? Could they tell you anything?'

She shook her head. 'Nothing. But I asked them to send someone as witness... a character witness maybe. They do have a contact-the same as how they were invited in the first place.'

'Good,' he said. 'Every little bit helps.'

'And...' she added, 'Donna is fine. I followed her for a little bit, but I didn't get any sense of meddling. She mostly talked with her friends about how the BA strikes were going to mess up her trip to Spain.'

Eleven grinned. 'That's Donna. Thank you, Martha.'

'So, a whole planet just for retreats, you said,' she mused. 'I wonder what it's like.'

Eleven swatted a lever. 'Let's find out.' He bounded down the steps and Martha and Rose followed close behind. As soon as he opened the doors, sand billowed in.

The women flung their arms in front of their faces.

'Sorry,' said Eleven. 'I should have let the sand settle. There we go. Onward and outward.'

All around them, desert stretched to the horizon. Rose shaded her eyes. The land was flat with scrubby bushes no higher than her knees. Delicate colours ran in veins through the sand: faint blues and dusty rose touched the rich yellows and burnt oranges.

'Where is... anyone?' asked Martha. She too held her hand above her eyes. 'I don't see any signs of habitation.'

Hands in trouser pockets, Eleven walked out of the shadow of the Tardis and slowly spun on one foot. 'I think you'll find they are all around us.'

'Yeah,' said Rose, craning her neck. 'That low ridge-is something under there?' She pointed.

He immediately pulled her arm down. 'Don't point,' he said quickly. 'It offends them.' He looked to where she had pointed. 'Good eyes. Yes. I fancy that's one of their dwellings.'

'Is anyone coming,' said Martha, 'or do we have to look for them?'

'They'll come,' he said, 'if we look harmless enough. When they do, keep low key. No big gestures or big voices. Woah!' He pivoted on one foot and stopped, staring near the Tardis.

Rose turned quickly and saw two robed beings standing beside the blue box. They reminded her of the Pilgrims.

'May we help you?' said one of the figures.

'Do you wish to stay for a while in retreat?' asked the other.

'What, us?' said Eleven. 'No, no. Not us. Lovely spot, really. Sparse. I like sparse. But no time for that now. We're looking for a friend.'

'What is this friend's name?' said the being on the left.

'I know him as Captain Jack Harkness,' Eleven answered. 'Mind you, he might have given you another name.'

'He did not,' said the figure on the right. 'Captain Harkness is indeed in retreat here.'

'Great,' said Rose. 'Can we see him?'

The beings bowed to her. 'I am sorry,' said the one on the left. 'He is in the middle of his time of solitude. He is not to be disturbed under any circumstance.'

'It's a matter of life and death,' she protested. 'We need his help badly.'

Eleven put his hand on her shoulder. 'How long will he remain in solitude?' he asked.

'Another thirty-seven days,' said the being on the right. 'If you wish to see him then, please come to this place at sunrise.'

'Thank you,' said Eleven. 'We are indebted to your kindness.' He placed his palms together and bowed. The Pilgrims did likewise.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'So, we're going to jump forward thirty-seven days?' asked Martha, 'and back again?'

'We are,' said Eleven, his hands busy on the console.

'Doctor,' said Rose, 'you aren't great at timing. You made me twelve months late, remember? You have to do this twice to get us back to the trial.'

He looked at her, a wounded look on his face. 'I have also timed many split-second jumps too. You only remember my, er, less accurate landings. I can do this. Don't you worry one bit.' He gently nudged the lever down. 'And here we are.'

Rose ran down to the door, but paused. At Martha's questioning look, she said, 'I don't want a face full of sand-that is, if we're still on the planet.' She opened the door. The desert lay before her. The bushes cast long shadows over the sand glowing in the sunrise.

'There,' said Eleven, coming up behind her. 'Still doubting my piloting skills?'

'Always,' said Rose. She shivered. 'Chilly this time.'

Eleven draped his jacket around her shoulders. 'It's a desert. Always chilly at night... and at sunrise. Don't worry. It will warm up quickly.'

'Thanks,' murmured Rose. She pulled the jacket closer around her.

'Is he there?' asked Martha. She followed them out onto the sand.

'No, but our two friends are,' said Eleven. 'Hello, there! Sunrise thirty-seven days later. Just as you said, yes?'

The monks bowed and turned to face the desert. 'He comes,' said one. 'We hope he will be able to provide the help you seek,' said the other. With those words, they quietly turned and walked into the desert.

Rose watched them walk away, hoping to catch the moment they entered a dwelling, but they disappeared within seconds. She blinked. 'How do they do that?' she asked.

'Defense with no offense,' said Eleven admiringly. 'They know every inch of this desert, how to appear, how to disappear. No technology to help them, but invaders would have a hard time finding anything to attack. They would also find it hard to live here. No natural resources-not the kind that can be mined by machines, that is. Except sand, and that can be found on a lot of planets. Ah!' He shaded his eyes. 'Here he comes.'

Rose put her hand above her own eyes and gazed out into the desert. A lone, tall figure trudged through the sand. 'Is he all right,' she asked suddenly. 'You said he was different now.'

'Did I?' asked Eleven mildly. 'That would be his story to tell, if he wishes to.'

The figure was closer now, and Rose could now see Jack, a pack on his back, dressed in khakis and shirt with a hunter's vest. The newly risen sun shone fully on his face and she wondered if he had caught sight of the Tardis yet.

'I hope he knows something that can help us,' said Martha. 'He's the only lead we have left.'

'Perhaps not the only one,' murmured Eleven. 'Oh, look. I think he's spotted us. Jolly good.'

Jack had stopped. For a moment, Rose thought he was about to turn back, but at last he resumed his steady, slow trudge. No-one moved until he at last stood facing them.

'Hello,' said Eleven.

Jack looked him up and down. 'Doctor,' he said slowly, a not-quite-questioning tone to his voice.

'You're good at this,' Eleven said.

'Have to be. Though the Tardis kinda gave it away. Again.' He turned to Rose, and at last a hint of a smile appeared. 'Rose. Well, that's more like it. At the Doctor's side.' He put an arm around her and hugged her.

'What am I then,' demanded Martha. 'Chopped liver?'

'Never,' he said, and he drew her close with his other arm. 'Never. Two lovely ladies. Definitely a sight for sore eyes.' He looked at Eleven then, his arms still around Rose and Martha. The ghost of a smile disappeared. 'Why are you here? They told me they'd keep people away.'

'They did,' said Rose. 'They told us we had to wait until today, when you finished.'

'Hmm. You guys must really need my help for something. What is it?'

'D'you remember the other Doctor?' asked Rose.

'The clone?' he asked, frowning.

Rose nodded.

'Yeah. I remember. I wondered whatever happened to him.'

'It's a long story,' said Eleven. 'And I think inside the Tardis is better for that.'

'Yeah,' said Jack. 'These monks-great in a pinch, but you never know where they are and what they hear. Stealthy. I bet they're listening now.'

'They won't tell anyone,' said Eleven. 'It's against their code.'

'Sure, Doc. Let's go.' Jack strode to the Tardis. 'I don't have a ride, so you'll do. Don't think I'm going to join you on one of your crazy adventures though. I had enough of that.'

'Don't you have to... I don't know... check out or something?' asked Martha.

'Naah,' he said. 'They know I'm leaving. They don't miss a trick, those guys.' He turned, opened the door and went in. Quietly, the others filed in after him.

Once in over the threshold, he took a few more steps and stopped. He looked up and around the interior and whistled. 'Woah, Doc! Like your wheels. What did you do to her?'

Eleven pushed past him and bounded up the steps. 'I didn't do anything. Well, I crashed her. That's something, I suppose. But this design... that's all her. She did it.'

Jack climbed the steps and turned slowly 360 degrees. 'Nice,' he said. 'Not as beat up, though I liked that organic look. But this... kinda retro. Flashy. Spaceman Spiff. Definitely like to get my hands on her.' He faced Eleven. 'So what's the scoop on your clone? Does he still look like your previous incarnation?'

'Yes,' said Eleven. 'He can't regenerate.'

Jack smiled then. 'Good,' he said. 'If he could, wonder what he'd look like now. Same as you again or different?'

Eleven looked slightly startled. 'I have no idea.'

Jack sat down on the jump-seat. 'So, tell me what's going on.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

As Eleven told the story and brought Jack up to the present, Rose watched Jack closely from her perch on the other end of the jump-seat. He did not close the gap between them as he would have in the past. He seemed older, drained. His smiles had not reached his eyes, and now that he was listening intently to Eleven, his face was impassive. But when Eleven reached the part about Ten's impending death sentence, Jack jerked slightly and then straightened.

'So, let me guess,' he said. 'That's when you came to find me. No more leads except for John.'

Rose leaned forward. 'Please help us. You're our only hope.'

The change in Jack was electric. 'No worries, kiddies. Jack is back. I've just lost people important to me. There's no way in hell I'm going to let that happen to my lovely Rose. Not again. Not a chance.' He jumped up.

'Do you know where Captain John Hart is?' asked Martha. All this time, she had been sitting quietly on the upward-leading flight of stairs.

'Who'd you lose?' asked Rose softly.

Jack looked at her askance. 'Not a story I want to tell.' He turned away and briskly clapped his hands together as if to dispel other thoughts. 'Okay. John has a vortex manipulator. He can go anywhere in time as well as place. He may have scarpered.'

'There's no way to track him?' asked Martha.

'No,' said Jack. 'Not by the manipulator.'

'So, that's it then. We can't trace him,' said Rose. 'Anything else? Anyone else know where he is?'

'He has favourite hangouts where he goes to brag or to gather intel,' said Jack. 'Habits. I told him to keep things random, but he never did. So, yeah, I have a few ideas.'

'Cool,' said Eleven. He regarded Jack thoughtfully for a moment, and then, after turning knobs and pressing buttons on the console, he typed rapidly on the typewriter. He straightened. 'Would you do the honours, Jack. You said you'd like to get your hands on her.'

Jack's eyes gleamed. 'Sure would,' he said. He crossed over to where Eleven stood and bent over the typewriter. The tap-tap-tap-clack of the keys came rapid-fire. 'There,' he said. 'Coordinates set. Your last jump was 36.7 days ago. Back to then?'

Eleven nodded and Jack touched one more key. 'Okay, beautiful girl. Show me what you got.' He pulled the lever, and the time rotor began to rise.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'Okay, that was interesting.' Jack stood by the front door of the Tardis, holding a note. 'Stinky, but interesting. Although I should have seen that coming.'

'What is it?' asked Martha. She went to him and wrinkled her nose in disgust. 'Oh my god. What was that place?'

'Nowhere I'd take you two ladies, that's for sure,' he said. 'A real dive, but good for information. John knew that.'

'Did you see him?' asked Rose.

'What was interesting?' asked Eleven. He nodded at the note.

'He always liked to play mind games,' said Jack slowly. 'I guess he's still at it.'

'What does it say?' asked Rose. She crowded around him along with the others.

He looked down at her for a moment as he re-folded the note, and then he blew out a short, sharp breath. He unfolded the note again. '"Dear Jack,"' he read. '"It seems I once again have information that you need. Let's see how much you want it. Don't worry. I won't harm you or any of your friends. I just want you to show me how much you remember when we were lovers. John."' He crumpled up the note and stuffed it in his pocket.

'That's it?' asked Martha. 'No clue?'

'No clue,' he answered, 'if you're just reading words. But I know where to go.'

'Curious sort of lover,' said Eleven. 'But never mind that. Where's our next stop?'

'Not far,' said Jack, following Eleven to the console. 'Same time, next star system.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The next clue was written on elegant stationary with a holographic logo. Eleven raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Jack didn't read the note to them this time but simply entered the new coordinates on the console.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

This time, Jack returned to the Tardis with a rather amused expression on his face.

'Seems like you've been holding out on me, Doc. And you, Rose.'

'Oh?' said Eleven.

'What d'ya mean?' asked Rose.

Jack stood in front of her. 'Arm wrestling? Challenges?' He turned. 'And you, Doc. You didn't tell me you have more companions ferretted away in here. Where are they?'

'How did you find that out?' she asked. 'Wait... are we back at that bar?' She looked at Eleven. He nodded.

Jack shook his head. 'In a place like that, people notice things. You, Rose, and that other girl obviously knew each other. And all of you appeared and disappeared within an hour of each other. Doesn't take much to connect the dots. So, where are they?'

'They are on their honeymoon,' said Eleven. 'Well, post-honeymoon holiday. Er... of sorts.'

'Just between you and me, Doc, you're getting lax. If you were trying to be incognito... seriously-arm-wrestling? That screams for attention. Sloppy. Sloppy.'

Eleven shrugged. 'Not one of her better moments. Though,' and here he waggled a finger at Jack, 'I'll have you know that she has many fine qualities. Don't write her off just because of one lapse in judgement.'

'So you're not gonna kick her out of the Tardis?' asked Rose. An odd mixture of relief and disappointment rose within her.

Eleven looked astonished. 'No. Why would I do that?'

'You left Adam behind.'

'That was entirely different,' said Eleven. 'Amy's poor judgement is worlds away from Adam. You know that, Rose. He planned to change Earth's history for his own gain-something which would have been disastrous. Something like that would never occur to Amy. I may have been cross with her, but I remember someone else who made a mistake once too.'

Rose nodded. Memories of her father, a speeding car and a church came to her mind. 'I'm glad she's staying,' she whispered, and she took his hand. She felt an answering squeeze.

'All very touching,' said Jack. 'Now, do I get a squeeze?'

Eleven waggled his finger once more. 'Behave.' He moved back to the console. Rose followed him, not letting go. 'So. Where to next?'

Jack hesitated.

'What's wrong?' asked Martha. Rose jumped. She had forgotten Martha was there. 'Was there a clue this time?'

He scowled. 'Yeah. I wasn't really planning to go back there any time soon.'

Eleven held out his hand. Silently, Jack handed over the note.

'"Shame about the city,"' Eleven read.

'What does that mean?' asked Martha. Rose looked at Eleven but his face was impassive. She looked back at Jack who was staring at the floor.

'Cardiff,' he muttered.

_To be continued_


	13. A Mother's Accusations

_Review Responses_

_The Cheater: _Thank you! I'm really glad you are enjoying this story. I do wish to assure you though that there has been no gap in updating. I started in late August and have been updating twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) since then. I will continue that until done (the story has already been finished) :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 13:<strong> _A Mother's Accusations_

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><p>Criss-crossing lines of light wavered, broke and reformed on the ceiling. Small sounds of drops splashing into water echoed throughout the room. Rose gazed out over the glassy, calm surface of the water. Ripples leading away from her idly moving legs smoothed out before they reached the middle of the pool.<p>

The light, as with everywhere else in the Tardis, was golden here. It reminded her of lazy summer evenings when the low sun tinged everything a soft gold, when dust motes hung in the air, and a hush settled over the countryside. Even in the city, she had seen it in the small parks near the estate. She saw it on the Earth in her father's universe.

A noise behind her made her look around. Amy stood at the doorway. 'Mind if I join you?'

Rose shrugged. 'Why not.'

Amy crossed the tiles and sat beside Rose. Pulling off her shoes, she too dangled her legs over the edge and in the water.

'Rory and I are leaving for a bit. Post-honeymoon holiday, since the honeymoon didn't exactly work out.' She swished her legs back and forth and then looked sideways at Rose. 'Sorry about earlier,' she said.

'S'all right,' said Rose. 'Though, any other time, I'd've taken you on. Just so you know.'

'You don't like it here anymore,' Amy said. 'I can see it. The Doctor's moved on and you don't belong here.'

Rose searched Amy's face for animosity but found none. Amy's eyes were candid.

'Yeah,' Rose said reluctantly. 'I should have expected it, but I didn't. My mate Shareen came back from a year abroad once and her parents moved while she was gone. The new house was nice, but it wasn't hers anymore. Never felt like hers again.'

'I get that,' said Amy. 'What did the Tardis look like before?'

Rose rested her palms flat on the floor behind her and tilted her head back. She gazed up at the ceiling. 'More like it had grown. Kinda like coral in the sea. Branches. Alive. More green. A bit darker. Not so bright and gold. I like the gold, but I miss the coral. Even the pool had coral in it, from the bottom right up to the roof. I could sit in the water on one of the branches, or climb up higher and jump off... Sort of like it asked you to play. You should've seen the Doctor. He loved it. Like a kid he was, doing crazy stunts.' Rose looked sideways at Amy and found her grinning.

'I want to see that,' Amy said. 'Maybe he can grow some of that coral for this pool.'

Rose frowned. 'I don't think it works like that. The Tardis has a mind of her own. She makes her own decisions. This is what she built and that's how it'll be.' She paused for a moment and then, very softly, she said, 'I think she's happier now. The Doctor too. Eleven, I mean. At least, a little bit.'

'And Ten?' asked Amy. 'I mean, before this crazy trial thing.'

Rose went still. 'I don't know. We only had one year after he... he came from your Doctor. Only one year different from Eleven. Half that time he was trying to being human, the rest... he was starting to...die. He never had a chance to be... just him. And...and now I don't know if he ever will.' She blinked furiously but it was no good. Tears welling in her eyes spilled over.

'Shit,' said Amy. 'I'm sorry.' She pulled her legs out of the water, jumped to her feet and ran from the room before Rose could say anything. The slapping of wet feet on the tiles echoed briefly and then was gone.

Rose hung her head and let her tears fall into the pool. Small circles spread outward, colliding with her knees or spreading further out only to smooth out into nothing. Her hair hung like a curtain around her face. All she could see was the gently undulating glassy surface. Drip, drip went her tears, and the centres spreading into circles. Two drops fell and the expanding rings rippled against each other with a brief confusion of lines and then all smoothed out again. The water seemed like her universe, and the light danced on it.

The sound of soft footfalls approached her and she raised her head. It was Eleven.

'Hey,' he said gently. 'Amy told me you were here.' He pulled off his own shoes and sat down, stretching his long legs in the water.

'Goof,' said Rose between sniffs. 'You're getting your trousers wet.'

Eleven regarded the wet cloth with mild interest. 'They'll dry. Come here, you.' He put his arm around Rose and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

'Martha analyzed the latest sample of Ten's blood,' he said softly. 'He's still improving, physically.'

'But mentally?' Rose asked.

Eleven was silent.

'Has Jack come back yet?' she asked. 'Any news?'

'He hasn't left,' said Eleven. 'He's just standing outside, waiting for Gwen to come, to pick him up on her monitors. The less he has to do with Cardiff, Wales or Earth, the better.'

Rose raised her head. 'Why are we back here,' she asked angrily. 'Back where it started. Gwen doesn't know anything. She told us so.'

'Not anything then,' said Eleven. 'But maybe now. And the clue may not refer to her.'

'I know,' said Rose. 'It's just... I feel like things are spinning out of control. We really hoped we could get back to this universe, and we did. Everything was going to be okay. And now they're talking 'bout a death penalty.'

Eleven tightened his arm around her.

'What happened,' said Rose, 'to the days when we just had adventures. Everything seems broken now. Jack, my Doctor. Me, I suppose. The Tardis is so different.'

With his free hand, he very gently tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear. 'The Tardis is the same. She hasn't changed. Just the window dressing. Not the heart of her.'

'That's what he said,' whispered Rose. 'Right at the beginning. I'm just a stupid human, I s'pose. Only see the surface.'

'Never,' said Eleven. 'You are very perceptive... for a human.' He winked at her. 'Don't let anyone know I said that, though. They'll think I'm becoming soft.'

Rose giggled in spite of herself. 'Can't have that. Though I know better.' She burrowed her face against the front of his shoulder. The now familiar tweed gently scratched her cheek. 'You big, soppy softie.'

'Hm! Secret's out then?'

'Yeah,' she mumbled. 'You and him both.'

Eleven sighed as if in resignation. 'We are. Can't help it. All in the genes, you know.' He let go of her and got up. He held out his hand. 'Come.'

Rose slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up.

'We will save him, Rose. I promise you that. We will save him.' He squeezed her hand and led her out of the room.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

They had not long reached the console room when a knock came at the front doors.

'Knocking?' mused Eleven. 'Who could be knocking?' He bounded down the steps and pulled open a door.

'Hey, Doc,' said Jack. Behind him stood Gwen, trying to peer into the Tardis. 'Mind if I bring in a visitor?'

'Hmmm...' said Eleven. He turned to Rose. 'Shall we allow her in? Does she pass muster?'

'Yeah,' said Rose. 'Why not.'

Jack moved aside and Gwen came hesitantly forward. When she crossed the threshold, her eyes widened.

'Oh!' she said. Hurriedly, she backed outside and cautiously ran her hand over the one closed door of the Tardis. She moved to the corner, felt it and peered around. Returning to the open door, she stuck her head inside and then, very slowly, felt the inside of the closed door. She walked past the entrance and into the room. When her hand felt the walls widen, she slowly nodded.

'Okay. Yes. I see.'

Jack chuckled. 'What? No "It's bigger on the inside"?' You disappoint me, Gwen.'

'I'd have thought that'd be self-evident,' she said, but she grinned at the look of disappointment on Jack's face. 'All right, Jack. It's bigger on the inside.'

Eleven clapped his hands. 'I'm glad that's sorted. Now, I presume Jack's told you why we've come back.'

'He wants to know if I've seen John since you lot left a few days ago, and, yes, I have.' Gwen's gaze continued to roam around the interior.

'What'd he say?' asked Rose eagerly.

Gwen looked at her and shook her head. 'Nothing much. He just appeared on a street corner, grabbed my arm and said, "Watch the mother." That was it. Then he disappeared before I could ask him anything.'

'"Watch the mother"? Nothing else?' Rose pressed.

'No,' said Gwen. 'Nothing else.'

'The mother,' mused Eleven.

'He wouldn't be telling me to watch myself though,' said Gwen. 'That would strange, even for him.'

'No. It isn't you,' said Eleven. 'I think he's talking about Francine.'

'Martha's mum,' said Jack. 'Of course!' He scowled. 'That means he really does know a lot about what's going on-has inside information if he knows what she's going to do or say.'

'Or he's jumping back after the sessions to leave us warnings,' said Eleven. 'Mucking about with the timeline. Dicey. Either way, I think it's time to return to court.' He turned to Gwen. 'The invitation still stands.'

'Thank you, Eleven,' said Gwen formally, 'but I need to get back to my family. However,' and here she waggled her finger at Jack, 'I want you to come back. You hear? You have friends here in Wales, always.'

Jack scowled but nodded. 'Maybe. Some day.'

'At least,' Gwen continued, 'to tell me what happens. I want to know what happens, if the Doctor is safe. All right?'

'The Doctor?' asked Jack. He looked at Eleven.

'The trial,' prompted Eleven gently.

'Oh! Ri-ight,' he drawled. Gwen looked at him quizzically.

'Someone'll let you know,' said Rose hurriedly. 'I promise you.'

Gwen smiled. 'Thank you, Rose.' She stood on tiptoe and hugged Jack. 'Come back,' she whispered.

With one last glance around the interior, she quietly exited and closed the door.

'Right,' said Eleven. 'First drop off Amy and Rory-it's time they had a couple of months of nice, boring Earth life-and then back to the Shadow Proclamation. Jack? Are you with us?'

'I'm with you,' said Jack.

'Excellent,' said Eleven. 'Off we go.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'You like to cut it close,' said the Woman. 'Everyone else has already gone in. I only have a few minutes.'

The hall was quiet. No shouting crowds greeted them on their return. Only a few, scattered hangers-on drifted around the doorways.

'Doctor...' said Rose.

'Sorry,' said Eleven. He looked at the Woman. 'I have a new witness for you if you'll have him. Jack Harkness. He can talk about his experiences on the Valiant. He too was imprisoned and tortured.'

'And I can tell the difference between the Doctor and the Master,' said Jack.

'Hey!' said Martha.

'Good,' said the Woman. 'Come with me. We don't have any time to lose.'

Once the Woman and Jack had disappeared down a side corridor, Eleven took Rose's hand and then looked around and also grasped Martha's.

'Ready?'

'Yeah,' said Martha. 'Watch my mother. I still don't know why she's doing all of this, but since that John fellow said to watch her, if that's what he means, it makes me think even more that something's really wrong.'

Rose let go of Eleven's hand and crossed over to Martha. She gave her a quick hug and took her other hand. Quietly, they entered the ampitheatre.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The court was already in session. As soon as Rose was seated and no longer picking her way down the dark stairs, she peered at Ten. Although he still sat slumped in his chair, his eyes were open and he was clearly following the proceedings. The shadows under his eyes were slightly less pronounced.

'Maybe he slept all night,' she said.

'I hope so,' whispered Eleven.

The Voice was speaking. 'The charges of aiding and abetting imprisonment and torture have been moved up in the proceedings by request from the victim and her counsel. Prosecution, call your witness.'

The outline of the back door glowed and Francine walked through, clearly ill at ease. Behind her, the Woman came through and quietly slipped to her chair.

The Man came forward and escorted Francine to the witness chair. She sat down, resolutely staring forward and ignoring Ten who was watching her.

'Francine Jones,' the Man said. 'You spent a year on the UNIT ship _Valiant_ in servitude to the Master. Can you briefly describe to the court the conditions in which you lived?'

Francine sat bolt upright. 'We were kept like animals. My daughter, my ex-husband and I were kept in a cage-a room, but cage doors. No beds. Just benches. Always on display to the guards. We performed menial tasks on the ship, served food and drink to the Master and his wife, Lucy. Sometimes we had to stand for hours as an audience if the Master felt like it, whenever he wanted to gloat over killing more people or destroying more countries. If we did anything wrong, we were punished.'

'Physically?' asked the Man.

'Yes,' whispered Francine. 'And sometimes we were not allowed food or drink.'

Beside her, Rose felt Martha wince and she took her hand. She felt an answering squeeze.

Francine continued. 'We were also made to watch another prisoner being tortured and killed over and over. He couldn't actually die, for some reason, and the Master loved that. He made us watch again and again and ask us to rate the most creative ways to make him suffer.'

Rose swallowed.

'As the court can see,' said the Man, 'conditions on the Valiant were intolerable. Ms. Jones, you have identified the Doctor as an accomplice to the Master. You gave me several reasons why you believe that he is guilty. Let's start with his giving the Master access to Earth. By fusing the coordinates of his ship, the Tardis, to Earth, he created the conditions which allowed the Master to land there in 2007 and insinuate himself into the British political world and consciousness. The Doctor also provided the Master with the Tardis which gave him the technology to further his aims. This in fact has been reported by others in addition to yourself. Is this your understanding of the matter?'

Francine nodded.

'Now that that has been established, let's look at the three complaints that you personally wish to raise. You told me that the Doctor either enticed or coerced your daughter, Martha, into travelling with him.'

'Hey!' cried Martha, but the dampening field hushed the noise and no-one on the dais heard her.

Francine nodded.

'Thus,' said the Man, 'the Master focused on you and your family specifically because of your connection, through Martha, to the Doctor.'

'Yes,' said Francine. 'If he had left my daughter alone, we would never have had to endure what we did. I hold him directly responsible for what the Master did to us.'

'Oh, Mother,' whispered Martha.

Rose looked at Eleven. He was leaning his head on one hand and his face looked older, drawn. On the dais, Ten still watched Francine, but like Eleven, he looked guilt-ridden.

'Two,' said the Man. 'At the end, when the effects of the year had been reversed, you claim that despite cries for justice, the Doctor refused to hand the Master over to appropriate governments on Earth, or to allow you, your family, or others to take action.'

'Yes,' said Francine angrily. For the first time since the session started, she looked directly at Ten. 'He didn't care about how we felt, or anyone's right to bring the Master to justice. I would have at least been content if the Master had been handed over to courts on Earth, but, no. That wasn't acceptable to the Doctor. He was just going to take off with him, go galavanting around the galaxy.'

The Man nodded slowly. 'Can you please tell the court exactly what happened at that time?'

Francine looked around her and out to the audience. She jutted her chin out defiantly. 'I found a gun. I aimed at the Master. He had killed so many and took such pleasure in it, I knew that he had to be killed to save my family, to save everyone. If it meant me going to jail, so be it. At least everyone would be safe. The Earth would be safe. But then _he_ came up behind me. The Doctor.'

'What did he do,' asked the Man.

'He told me to be better than him. Better than that monster. Comparing me to the Master? How dare he! I wanted justice for all that he did to my family, to everyone. I couldn't do it in the end and he knew that. He took advantage of it and took the gun away from me. And then he _apologized_ to the Master when his wife shot him. "I didn't see her," he said. Apologized! Here we are, having suffered at his hands for a year, and the Doctor is crying because the Master's own wife shot him. The Doctor doesn't care about humans. He doesn't care about how we feel. He was going to take his best friend off with him in his spaceship. He didn't do a single thing to help us. He just forgave the Master. Just like that. Did nothing for us. If it weren't for my own daughter-she was the one who did the hard work. She was the one who saved the world.'

'Yes, yes,' said the Man. 'Can you be very specific. Did the Doctor at any time say that he would let the Master be put on trial for his actions?'

Francine glared at Ten. 'No. Never. We were all crying out for justice, but he dismissed us. Didn't even consider it.'

'So,' said the Man, 'he was obstructing Earth's reasonable expectation of justice.'

'Yes,' said Francine. She looked away from Ten. 'He was.'

'Thank you,' said the Man. 'And I believe that brings us to your final complaint-his motivation for keeping the Master away from Justice.'

Francine laughed, a short, sharp, bitter sound. 'They were friends from childhood, I gather. The Doctor loved the Master. I don't know what kind of love, and I don't care. But he was crying over the Master's body when the wife, Lucy, finally had the good sense to kill him. Crying! Babbling all sorts of nonsense. The Doctor wasn't thinking of justice at all. Saying that he'd keep the Master imprisoned in his ship was just for show. He abandoned that thought soon enough when his best friend lay dying in his arms. After that horrible, horrible year, all he could do was cry. He was never going to bring the Master to justice. He was just planning to escape with him and leave us humans to clean up the mess. Try to recover. Try to survive.'

'And who helped you in the end?' asked the Man

'Not the Doctor, that's for sure,' said Francine. 'He had the good sense to stay away after that, and my daughter finally escaped from his clutches. Even she could see that he was no good.'

'Oh, Mother,' whispered Martha. Tears left tracks down her cheeks.

Francine shook her head. 'Not even UNIT helped. Their psychologists were worthless. It wasn't until the Emergency Measures Psychological Services outfit sent their people did I get any real help.'

'The what?' muttered Eleven. He sat straighter. Martha leaned forward, a puzzled frown on her face.

The Man nodded. 'I'm glad to hear that you were not left alone. I want to thank you, Francine Jones, for being here today and bringing some much needed light to our understanding of the Doctor's character and the legacy of his actions-a legacy, sadly, that has caused you much suffering. I have no further questions.'

The Woman leapt to her feet. 'I wish to cross-examine the witness.'

The Judge nodded.

The Woman approached Francine. 'You have made a series of complaints about the Doctor. However, at any time during this year on the Valiant, did the Doctor ever help the Master carry out any of his plans?'

Francine frowned. 'Not directly, no. At least, not that I saw.'

'Not directly,' mused the Woman. 'I see. Now I understand that you feel the Doctor may have had a role in the Master's arrival on Earth, and at the very end may not have helped you bring the Master to justice. But answer me this. Did the Doctor himself help the Master carry out his crimes against humanity. Did he help the Master come to power? Did he help him imprison people or create the stockyards and weapons? Did he lift so much as a finger to help the Master subjugate you or any member of your family?'

'Well, no,' said Francine. 'But he allowed the Master to come to Earth. He allowed everything to happen.'

'"Allowing" can mean anything from approving to being unable to stop someone,' said the Woman. 'But I will explore that at a later time. Another question: did the Doctor indicate in any way that he would not, in fact, keep the Master imprisoned in his Tardis?'

Francine looked at the Man but he said nothing. She looked back at the Woman. 'No. But the way he was carrying on, crying, pleading with the Master to stay alive and be with him... It was obvious he cared more about the Master himself than about bringing him to any kind of justice.'

'Someone can care deeply about a person but still be resolved to sanction their behaviour,' said the Woman. In a gentle voice, she added, 'Any mother can recognize that.'

'Objection,' said the Man. 'The counsel is resorting to emotionalism.'

'Overruled,' said the Judge. 'It's a valid comparison. Continue, Counsel.'

'I only wish to ask two more questions,' said the Woman. She turned back to Francine. 'You mentioned a man who was killed repeatedly. Did you come to know him during the year?'

'Yes,' said Francine. 'We all gave each other support. He wanted to escape as much as the rest of us.'

'What was his name?' asked the Woman.

'Jack Harkness,' said Francine. 'A nice, young man, even if he did travel with the Doctor.'

'Thank you,' said the Woman. 'That is all I wanted to know. You may leave the court.'

Francine looked at the Woman uncertainly and then, briefly, at Ten, but rose and slowly walked out without looking back.

'I now wish to call another witness-in fact, the very person that Ms. Jones just named-Mr. Jack Harkness. He too was a victim of the Master and arguably the recipient of the most psychological and physical torture during the year on the Valiant.'

Rose could see Ten straighten suddenly in his chair. 'Surprise,' she whispered.

_To be continued_


	14. His Last Link and Anchor

_Review Responses_

_TheCheater:_I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter! Here's another one for you. :)

_Turnip713:_I've always been impressed by the writing for the episode of _The Last of the TIme Lords_. The Doctor couldn't help but act the way he did, given all the background, but it was not what the situation, and the survivors needed. He goofed, but couldn't do otherwise. One of those times that are horribly cast in conflict, fear and anger on different sides. But, yes, he needed to be called on it, even if one can pity him.

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><p><strong>Chapter 14:<strong> _His Last Link and Anchor_

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><p>Jack walked out from the back with a quick, determined stride.<p>

'I guess this is my seat?' he asked with only the slightest hint of a drawl.

'That is correct,' said the Woman.

As Jack sat down, Rose saw him lean slightly towards Ten and look at him searchingly. Ten merely looked back with no further reaction after his surprise a moment ago.

'Mr. Harkness,' said the Woman. 'I take it that you recognize the prisoner.'

'Yes, I do, ma'am,' said Jack. 'That's the Doctor.'

'Noted,' said the Woman. 'One of the complaints before the court is that the Doctor allowed his ship, the Tardis, to fall into the Master's hands and, by fusing the coordinates, made the Master come to Earth. I understand that you were there at the time he did this.'

'I could be a witness for this,' muttered Martha.

Eleven leaned across Rose. 'But you are compromised in their eyes-"coerced" by me: another victim. Jack is independent and also recognized as another prisoner of the Master.'

'I suppose,' said Martha. She crossed her arms.

Jack was speaking. 'I was there. We didn't know that the Master even existed. The Doctor didn't recognize him since his Time Lord biology was hidden by a... a Chamelion Arch. By the time we realized what was happening, the Master was already taking the Tardis. The Doctor only had a second to try to do something. Thinking on his feet. No planning. He fused the coordinates so that he'd have a chance to locate the Master and stop him. At least he'd know where to go.'

'So may I infer that there was no conscious decision to take the Master to Earth?' asked the Woman.

'None at all,' said Jack firmly. 'He literally only had a second to act and it just happened to be Earth in 2007 that was the last coordinate. He was pretty upset to find out that the Master had become the Prime Minister of the U.K.'

'Once the Doctor did find out, what did he do?' asked the Woman.

'From that point onward, hell, from the point the Master stole the Tardis, his one thought was to stop him. That never changed. He knew the Master was dangerous. In the whole year following, that never changed.'

The Woman nodded. 'And, I'm sorry for reminding you of this, but during all the time you were held prisoner and tortured, did you ever come to feel that the Doctor was abandoning his goal of capturing the Master?'

Jack shook his head. 'Never. I knew that he would never give up, and he didn't. In fact, I didn't realize until later just how hard he was working all year, even while he himself was held prisoner, to stop the Master. Martha was working on Earth under his instructions, and he was working on the Valiant to manipulate the psychic field of the Archangel network. It was long, slow, and hard, but between the two of them, they pulled it off. They stopped the Master.'

'I understand you had a hand in that too,' said the Woman. 'You destroyed the Paradox Machine that the Master had created in the Tardis.'

'I did, ma'am,' said Jack. 'But that was under orders from the Doctor himself. He knew what had to be done. He engineered everything.'

The Woman slowly walked around Ten's chair and stopped beside him. 'And in the end, what were the Doctor's intentions.'

Ten looked up at the Woman.

Jack spoke loudly. 'He was going to imprison the Master on the Tardis and devote the rest of his life to looking after him. He said that he was his responsibility now.'

'The previous witness said that the Doctor seemed to abandon his intentions of imprisoning the Master when the Master was fatally shot. Is this true?'

'No,' said Jack firmly. 'He never did any such thing. The Doctor was definitely upset, but the reason the Master died was exactly because the Doctor planned to imprison him. He didn't want that and so he died in order to prevent it. He knew that the Doctor wouldn't change his mind even though the price was to lose his last link to home.'

'His last link to home,' mused the Woman. 'A pretty powerful link. The last of your kind, of your entire culture, your whole planet. It seems to me that it must take an iron will to withstand that kind of temptation, to not give in.' She took one last look at Ten and then walked to the middle of the dais and addressed the jury. 'We've heard a lot of talk about the Doctor's character. I would like everyone to take note of this, that the Doctor was willing to lose the very last person from his home planet-his _home planet!_-in order to protect Earth. He placed Earth, and indeed the rest of the universe, above his own interests and his own people because he knew they needed to be protected. Please consider this when you consider all else.'

She turned back to Jack. 'Thank you, Mr. Harkness.'

'No questions,' said the Man.

As Jack got up and walked to the back, Rose looked at Eleven. He was quiet, head bowed. Very gently, she put an arm around him. He said nothing but leaned into her embrace.

She looked back at the dais. Ten's gaze was fixed on them. 'I'm sorry,' she mouthed. 'I'm so sorry.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

When the knock came at the door, Eleven simply let the Woman into the Tardis.

'That went better this time,' said Rose.

'Yes,' said the Woman. 'We gained ground. Thank you for bringing Mr. Harkness as a witness. He was certainly known to us, but no-one was able to find him.'

'He was busy,' said Jack.

'We may have gained ground,' said Eleven, 'but the genocide verdict still remains, and the other charges are still to come.'

'Can I see the Doctor?' asked Martha. 'It's usually at this time...'

'Can I come-can we all go again?' asked Rose. She looked at Eleven and back at the Woman.

'I'm sorry,' said the Woman. 'Too many complaints were raised after yesterday. The representatives didn't like the telepathic communication.' She looked at Eleven. 'You won't be allowed back in.'

Eleven scowled. 'I was healing him. Not discussing the trial.'

'It doesn't matter,' responded the Woman. 'They have barred you from visiting. I'm sorry. He did seem to improve after your visit, and no doubt could benefit from another. But the decision was final.'

'What about Rose?' he asked. 'She isn't telepathic.'

'I might be able to get her in,' said the Woman, 'and Ms. Jones may continue her visits. In fact, we should go now. But if you have any more ideas or leads, it would be a help.'

'What's this Emergency Measures Psychological Services?' asked Martha.

The Woman shrugged. 'An Earth organization.'

'Right, then,' said Eleven. 'Off you go, you lot. I'll... just wait here, doing... very important things.'

Rose reached up and hugged him. 'I'll tell him you wanted to come.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

It seemed to Rose that there were more watchers when she and Martha arrived at Ten's cell. The Man was also there, watching like a hawk. Rose shuddered. Like yesterday, Ten was lying on the bed, although his eyes were open, and he saw them arrive at the door.

Martha was allowed in first and she carefully conducted her examination. Rose watched, and it seemed to her that with every touch, Ten relaxed a little more. Once Martha finished her tasks, however, a guard entered the room and brusquely ordered her to leave.

'Can I...' began Rose.

'Quickly,' said the Woman. 'You will only have a few minutes.'

As Martha and the guard passed her on their way out, Rose edged her way in. No one followed her, but as before, the crowd of spectators lined the transparent walls.

When Ten saw her approach, he struggled to sit up. The restraints once again lengthened to allow him movement, but Rose noticed that there was no slack on the wires. The tension had clearly been set higher. He did not swing his legs over the side of the bed and he was forced to keep his arms behind him, hands flat on the bed.

Rose sat down.

'You all right?'

He nodded. 'You?' he asked. His voice was hoarse.

'I'm okay,' she said.

'My beautiful Rose,' he murmured.

She smiled. 'My handsome Time Lord.' She reached up a hand and stroked his cheek. 'Did you sleep last night?'

He nodded. 'Yeah.'

'Anything I can do?' she asked. She glanced up at the watching crowd.

'Just... touch me,' he whispered.

Rose curled her hands over either side of his face. 'I can do that,' she said softly. Keeping her left hand cupped on his jaw, she reached up with her right and stroked his forehead. Then she ran her fingers through his hair. 'I can always do that.'

Ten sighed and closed his eyes. 'My anchor,' he murmured.

With one trembling fingertip, Rose traced over one curving eyebrow and then, lingeringly, over the other. She touched the clear space between his eyebrows and let the finger follow down over the narrow, arching bridge of his nose. When she reached its tip, she kissed it.

'I love touching you,' she said, her voice hushed. She vainly hoped that the watchers couldn't hear her, but she suspected that they could, no matter how low she kept her voice.

Ten moved his head against her left palm and brushed the base of her thumb with his lips. 'I dreamt of you last night,' he said, his eyes still closed.

Rose reached her right hand around and let her fingers massage the muscles at the back of his neck, her fingertips working through his hair.

'Oh,' said Ten. He leaned his head back against her hand, and so she dug her fingers in harder.

'Your muscles are in knots,' said Rose. She put her left arm around him and she drew him against her. 'I don't know how long we have,' she whispered in his ear. However, as soon as she did so, she knew she had made a mistake. Angry murmurs rose from some of the spectators and the guards entered the room.

'I'm sorry,' she cried and withdrew from Ten who opened his eyes, startled and wary. 'I wasn't trying to tell him anything. Honest.'

But the guards did not slow down.

'I'm sorry,' she said brokenly and she grabbed Ten's head and she pressed her lips against his. He kissed her frantically. But the guards laid their hands on Rose and pulled her away. 'Doctor!' But the guards had already dragged her backwards to the entrance.

'Rose,' he cried out, but the door slid shut.

The guards let go of her, and she pressed her hand to the glass. She could see Ten staring at her.

'Rose,' he said one more time, and his whisper came through clearly on the speakers.

Someone touched her on the shoulder. It was the Woman. 'Time to go,' she said. The guards loomed behind her.

'I love you,' Rose mouthed through the glass. But as she saw Ten begin to respond, hands fell heavily on her shoulders and she was forced to turn away as she was escorted from the room.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'So stupid,' Rose growled back in the Tardis. 'Why I didn't think...'

'Never mind,' said Eleven gently. 'They're ready to take offense, no matter what you, or I, do. We, he, I have made many enemies over the years, and they are all here and swaying opinion. The charge of genocide has got everyone else leery. Well, that and the fact that my, er, his reputation precedes us. For getting out of tight spots. You probably would have annoyed them in some other way even if you hadn't whispered in his ear.'

'Doesn't make me feel better,' muttered Rose. 'And what is it with the crowds anyway? Don't they have anything better to do than watch us visit him?'

'They're being silly,' said Eleven and he turned away to tinker on some control at the console.

'It's funny,' said Martha. 'When I first went to see him, there were only a few people. One or two of their doctors, the guards, and the escort that brought me. That was it. But now...' She shrugged helplessly.

Rose stared at Eleven's back. 'Doctor?'

The sounds of tinkering didn't stop.

'You know why, don't you,' said Martha. She stood by him.

He turned his head slightly. 'As I said, they're being silly. Now!' He clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. 'Time to follow up on our new lead.'

'Which is?' asked Jack as he ran down the upper flight of stairs, two steps at a time. 'What did Francine say-she was the mother in question, right?'

'So it seems,' said Eleven.

'She said something about an "Emergency Measures Psychological Services",' said Rose. 'Judging by Martha's reaction, there's no such thing.'

'Not that I've ever heard of,' said Martha.

Rose glanced up at Eleven. 'So, are we going to infiltrate and investigate?'

'Absolutely,' he answered. 'Martha, did your sister give you the address of your mother's psychologist?'

'Yeah,' she said. 'Well, at least she knew the building since she only ever dropped Mum off. She never went up with her.'

He nodded. 'It'll do.'

'29 Great Dover Street,' said Martha.

Eleven twisted a knob. 'All of you are coming, I suppose?' He pinged the bell. 'Thought so.'

_To be continued_


	15. A Trail of Breadcrumbs

_Review Responses_

_Methosorigins:_ Thank you! I'm really glad you find the characters true to their nature.

_Mysedai: _ Wow! It sounds like there are two settings in this fic: heartbreaking and blood boiling. I'm glad you love the story!

_TheCheater: _You're welcome! Here's the next one. :)

_Ariel3: _Eleven's on the case! Hurrah! And, that scene between Rose and Ten... one of my favourites for writing. *happy sigh*

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><p><strong>Chapter 15:<strong> _The Trail of Breadcrumbs_

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><p>The Tardis materialized in a back alley. As Rose opened the door and stepped out, she realized that it was night.<p>

'Good idea,' she said to Eleven who was right behind her.

'Bit difficult to break in during the day,' he responded.

They walked around to the front. Martha peered at the number on the front doors. '29. Yes. This is it.'

Eleven stood in front of the doors and Rose heard the electronic whirring begin. After a moment, sparks flew and he pulled open the doors. 'Come on,' he said over his shoulder. Rose took one quick look around but all was quiet. They all filed in.

'Psychological Services,' read Jack from the lobby map. 'To the point. Third floor.'

The lifts hadn't been locked down. In two minutes, they were standing in front of a set of frosted glass doors.

'Fancy,' said Rose.

Eleven applied the sonic screwdriver, and soon they were inside.

Jack whistled softly as he looked around the plushly appointed waiting room. Security lighting softly illuminated the office. 'Nice.' He walked over to the island counter and looked into the interior. 'Phone, computer, files... Everything's here. But...'

Rose stood beside him. 'Really tidy,' she said.

'I'll look here,' said Martha. 'Check the records. Why don't the rest of you look around.' She sat down at the desk and began to pull open drawers.

'Right,' said Jack. He went to the corridor crossing at the back of the office and walked down it to the left.

Eleven nodded. He disappeared down the right wing.

Rose opened a door in the corridor opposite the waiting room. Street lighting through the window let her see the comfortable chairs and the desk. She crossed the room and pulled out the drawers.

Within minutes, they had all reassembled in the waiting room. Eleven sat down on the chair Martha had just abandoned.

'Empty,' said Rose. 'Furniture is all there, but the drawers have nothing.'

'I didn't even see that,' said Jack. 'The rooms I looked in have never been used. Empty.'

'Same here,' said Eleven. He pushed with his feet, and the office chair whizzed along the tiled floor, carrying him over to Martha. He crashed into the cabinets by the printer.

'Uh, Doc,' said Jack. 'Traditionally, when people break into offices at night, they're quiet.'

'Ah, well, yes, I suppose so,' said Eleven. He pushed off again and the chair slowly rotated as it drifted back over the floor. 'But these are fun. I must get one for the Tardis. Chairs with wheels are cool.'

'Take one,' said Martha. 'No-one's coming back here. Look at these files.' She held one open. 'All empty with blank paper. Just for show. This place is a front.'

'I thought it might be,' said Eleven. He got up and gently pushed the chair back to its original spot. 'Francine is being used, manipulated for some purpose.'

'By someone who wants revenge against the Doctor, or... or you, Doctor,' said Rose.

'Him, me, both of us,' said Eleven. 'A little obvious after a little digging, but someone is clever enough to orchestrate this whole affair. And motivated enough to want to kill him. Ten.'

'Or someone who doesn't know that you have regenerated,' said Martha.

'Or who doesn't know that Time Lords can regenerate,' said Jack.

'The one thing that Ten is responsible for, that I am not,' mused Eleven, 'is that he is the one who committed genocide against the Daleks at the Medusa Cascade. All the other accusations apply to both of us.'

'To you,' said Jack. 'He came after.'

Eleven shook his head. 'No. He was a part of me. He remembers everything. He is me. You must remember that. You ask him and he will say that he did everything. He experienced it. Just because he now has a body separate from me doesn't mean that his life started when Donna touched my... his hand. Everything I know, he knows. Intrinsically. It's a part of him. His identity. His very being. Mentally, he's also over 900 years old.'

'Yeah, right. I got it,' said Jack. 'I saw you pour your regeneration energy into that hand. He's you. But good thing the court doesn't get it, or they'd have both of you in prison.'

'Hmm,' said Eleven. He slowly turned on the spot, scanning with the sonic screwdriver. He shook his head and pocketed the device. 'Nothing here.'

'A waste of time,' said Rose. 'But... knowing this-can it help him?'

'Possibly,' said Eleven. 'I wouldn't bank on it, though.' He pushed through the front doors. Once everyone filed through, he reapplied the screwdriver and the lock sealed. 'Right. At least we've confirmed for ourselves that something dodgy is going on. Back to the Tardis.'

'No clue,' said Jack as they got into the lift. 'No next step in John's little game.'

'Dead end,' said Rose. She slumped against the doors, suddenly feeling bone tired. 'Nowhere else to go.' She stared down at her shoes and closed her eyes. Images of Ten being executed in painful ways flashed through her mind.

A soft ping signalled their arrival at the ground floor.

The doors slid apart and Rose stepped backward...

... straight into grasping arms. Before she could say a word, one arm pinned her back against her assailant's chest, and the other lowered a gun and aimed it between the doors. Eleven and Martha stopped still in their tracks. Jack, his face blank in shock, whispered a name and surged forward. But sharp reports flashed from the gun and Jack fell back into the lift.

'No!' screamed Rose. But as she struggled, the hand of the arm held across her chest touched a device on the other arm's wrist and sparks flew from the lift controls. The last thing Rose saw as a chloroformed cloth covered her mouth and nose was the doors closing with a bang with the other three trapped inside.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Sound came back to her first, what little there was. Her first impression was that a wind was blowing, both distant and close. Then she realized that she was also hearing the _plink_ of drops falling one by one. The sounds of the dripping, as small as they were, echoed. But then she could feel her cheek against cold stone. The air smelled damp and musty.

Groggily, she opened her eyes. It was dark.

'Hello?' she muttered.

'Hello yourself,' said a voice, loud in the stillness. It was right behind her.

Rose jerked in surprise and tried to sit up, but she found that her hands and legs were tied.

'Er, right,' said the voice. 'Sorry 'bout that. Couldn't have you running off now, could we.'

'It's John, yeah?' she asked.

'That's right,' he said. 'You've kept your wits about you. That's good. Though, I'm curious. How did you know it was me?'

Rose shrugged, and then realized that the gesture was useless in the darkness. 'Your trail of breadcrumbs. And Jack's reaction when you kidnapped me.'

John chuckled. 'Poor Jack. He's looking for you now. They all are, I bet.' His voice became brisk. 'Which is why we don't have much time.'

'What are you going to do?' asked Rose warily.

'Don't worry, little girl,' he responded. 'Just going to talk. But it's in your best interests to listen, believe me.'

'Can I sit up?' she asked. Her arms were becoming numb.

A torch clicked on and Rose hastily shut her eyes against the sudden glare. After a moment, she cautiously opened them, just as John knelt behind her and pulled her upright. She looked around. The beam of the torch shone on brickwork, dark and stained. As John walked over and sat down, his back to the bricks, the beam briefly played out over an open area opposite them. It looked to Rose like a tunnel running out of sight to both the left and the right. John set the torch down so it shone upward, shining on more bricks in a ceiling arching low over them. It was difficult to see his face.

'Where are we?' she asked. To her relief, her voice was steady.

'Underground,' said John. 'The Underground, actually. Just an abandoned little station. Confuses the heck out of any tracers. Even your precious Doctor will have trouble finding you here.'

'Why'd you kidnap me?' asked Rose.

John sighed. 'Ah. Well. You see, I've got myself in a spot of trouble. All a part of helping out my dear friend Jack, and you, I might add.'

'You haven't helped us at all,' said Rose. 'Larking about, leaving those stupid clues.'

'Hey!' said John. 'Your Doctor and his fancy box had no trouble following me around. But I had to stay one step ahead of _them_. No mean feat, I tell you!'

'Who's "them",' snapped Rose.

John fixed his gaze on her and, for the first time, she glimpsed something in the shadows of his face. An expression of fear?

'No-one you want to get mixed up with,' he said.

'If you want to help us,' said Rose, 'then I need to know. The Doctor needs to know.'

John leaned back against the wall and hung his arms loosely over his knees. 'At first I was interested. Lots of talk about the Doctor. So I snooped around. They didn't know I was there. The vortex manipulator got me in and out, and whenever I wanted. So I could hunt around. I heard a lot. Since I know how Jack feels about his Doctor, I thought-Right. This could come in handy. So I joined their group. But they caught on, just the other day. Must have. Obviously had me followed. I tried to leave a message-all right, another clue-today at the office, but they caught up with me. Broke the bloody manipulator. I managed to escape, but they've been following me all day. Managed to give them the slip an hour or two ago, and I thought, hey! You lot should be showing up some time after dark. And right on time, you did. Lucky for you I left them a diversion that kept them busy while you were playing detective. Then you stepped right into my arms.' He stopped talking then, almost out of breath.

'Who are they and what do they want with the Doctor?' asked Rose carefully.

'That should be Doctors plural, shouldn't it, love,' said John. 'Let's not play around with that.'

'All right, then,' she answered. 'What do they want with them?'

John raised his chin and crossed his arms. 'Now we come to it. I'm willing to tell, but there are conditions.'

'Such as?'

'One-protection from the people behind all this. I want to get out of this in one piece. Two-I happen to know the Doctor can fix things. I want my manipulator back in working order.' He glanced at it. 'Still does a few things, but no travel. And, finally, I want to be able to tell my story properly without you lot chucking me in some dungeon. Say... does he have dungeons in the Tardis?'

Rose raised her eyebrows. 'I haven't seen any.'

'Good-'

'Mind you,' she added, 'I don't know everything in there. You never know.'

'Very funny,' he growled. He got up and paced around. 'Those are my conditions.'

Rose looked up at him. 'Why didn't you just tell us? Why kidnap me?'

He stopped pacing. 'Couldn't take the chance, see? For all I know, the Doctor, or Jack, might just want a little revenge for my games. No manipulator, no way to escape. If the people behind the trial don't get me, your lot might. Who knows what they'll do to me.'

Rose shook her head. 'They don't work that way.'

John gave a short laugh, almost like a bark. 'Shows you don't know Jack that well.'

'All right,' she answered. 'Say you know him better. But kidnapping me is going to make them angrier. I'd say you made it worse for yourself.'

'That's where you come in,' John shot back. 'You tell them that's what I want. If they want you back, and they want to save your Doctor, they have to agree to the conditions.'

'I see,' she said.

A familiar wheezing began to echo all around them, and her hair began to whip around her face.

'Time to put on your best behaviour,' she said.

John swiftly crossed back to where she sat. He cut the ropes around her ankles and hauled her to her feet. 'Didn't expect them quite so soon,' he muttered.

The Tardis settled with a thunk. The lettering over the doors shone brightly, casting the rest of the box in shadow. The doors opened and golden light streamed out. Jack leapt out and Eleven calmly walked and stood beside him. Martha hovered in the doorway.

John put Rose in front of him and held his hands at her throat. 'Stop right there, or your girl gets her neck broken.'

'He'll do it, Doctor,' said Jack urgently. 'I know him.'

'All right,' said Eleven. He was calm. Almost too calm, Rose thought. But she could see the tension in him. 'What do you want?'

'You tell him, pet,' said John.

Rose cleared her throat. 'He wants protection from whoever's behind all this, his vortex manipulator fixed, and, well, protection from you too.' Despite her situation, she could feel a small grin forming during her last words.

'Let her go, and we'll consider it,' said Jack.

'No,' snapped John. 'You consider it now. You I can manage. But you, your fancy Doctor, and those fanatics all together? Not a chance. I want some insurance.'

'I think he really does know what's going on,' said Rose. She looked at Eleven. 'I think he can help us. They're after him-the people behind the charges, behind Mrs. Jones.'

'I know everything,' said John. He shifted his feet behind Rose a little for a better stance. 'But I won't tell you lot until I'm safely at the court.'

'Why should we believe you,' asked Jack. 'You've lied, cheated, and hurt my people before. How do we know you're not lying again?'

'You think this is all some petty revenge scenario,' shouted John. 'You don't know how wrong you are and who you have been dealing with. Even you, Doctor. When you find out...'

'All right, all right,' said Eleven. 'Rose, do you believe him?'

Rose swallowed. 'Yeah. I do. And... he's all we've got.'

'She's right,' said John. 'I'm all you've got. So what's it to be?' He tightened his hold around Rose's neck and she gulped. 'Do we have a deal?'

'Yes,' said Eleven. 'We have a deal... _if_ you testify in court. Honestly. Otherwise, the deal is off. No protection, no vortex manipulator. Do you understand?'

'Okay then,' said John, dropping his voice to a conversational tone. 'Fine. Here she is.' He reached around Rose and cut the ropes around her wrists. 'Off you go.'

Rose scrambled away from him and over to Eleven who promptly took her hand and drew her to him. He did not let go.

'Aw,' said John. 'Such sweet lovebirds. Although... maybe I got things wrong. I thought it was the other Doctor that you were cozy with.'

Rose snatched her hand out of Eleven's. She didn't look at him. She felt her cheeks burn.

'Curiouser and curiouser,' said John with a smirk.

'Save it,' growled Jack as he pulled a length of slim rope from his coat pocket. He strode over and, grabbing John's wrists, tied them behind his back.

'I've got your Doctor's word,' said John as Jack hauled him towards the Tardis. 'Be nice to me.'

'That's all you've got,' said Jack shortly. Martha opened the doors fully and Jack pushed John through. Rose and Eleven followed, both quiet.

Inside, John whistled. 'Fancy! I've always wanted to see the inside of a Tardis. Now I've finally got my wish.'

'Shut it,' said Jack. He pushed John into the nearest jump seat and threw a loop around the railing. As he tied it firmly, he looked at Eleven. 'Let's get back to the Shadow Proclamation. I don't like him in here.'

Eleven shrugged as he took one last look out of the doors. 'The Underground,' he said. 'I love the Underground. A whole world down here to explore.' He shut the doors and came up the steps.

'Dark and dank,' said Rose, rubbing her wrists.

'All the more exciting!' said Eleven. 'Forgotten nooks and crannies everywhere. London is sitting on a honeycomb of tunnels and sewers.' He flipped switches and yanked on a lever. 'What could be better?'

'Whatever you say, Doc,' said Jack.

'Let's just get him back,' said Martha.

'Right you are,' said Eleven. The rotor rose and fell. 'On our way.'

The Tardis shuddered.

'That's odd,' muttered Eleven. 'Why is she doing that?'

A shower of sparks flew from the console.

'No, no, no, no, no!' he cried, and danced from one control to another. 'What are you doing?'

'What's happening?' shouted Rose.

'Time's wonky,' he shouted back. Holding on to the lever with one hand, he reached across the side of the console as far as he could and yanked a bell-pull.

The time rotor came to a halt with a grinding wheeze and the Tardis pitched violently. Everyone hung on until the shaking stopped.

'Whew,' said Eleven. 'Why'd you do that, old girl?' He peered at instruments and then yanked the monitor around to face him. 'Odd. Almost as if someone...'

Just then, a loud knocking sounded throughout the room. Jack bounded down the stairs and yanked open the doors.

'There you are!' said Panossian sounding distressed. 'You've missed most of the session. The Defending Counsel was depending on you. It's too late now. They won't take new evidence. It won't be long before the judgements are given.'

'The Tardis was pulled ahead,' gasped Eleven, flying down the stairs. 'We've missed half a day. Jack! Untie him and... and _run_!'

_To be continued_


	16. The Final Witness

_Review Responses_

_Tashie:_ Thank you! I'm glad that you like the idea. I had a lot of fun developing it.

_TheCheater:_ The poor Tardis is getting rather yanked around. And there's more suspense to come...

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><p><strong>Chapter 16:<strong> _The Final Witness_

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><p>No-one stopped them as they flew through the doors and into the amphitheatre. Rose half expected the guards to bar their entry, but clearly they had been instructed to let them pass if they showed up.<p>

As they hastily picked their way down the darkened stairs, Rose took quick glances at the dais. The Man was speaking and striding back and forth. Ten's eyes were closed and his head bowed.

'They're making the final statements,' hissed Jack.

As they seated themselves, Rose pulled at Eleven's hand. 'What are we going to do? It's too late to get John to testify, isn't it?'

'You leave that to me,' whispered Eleven. He crouched at the front of the seat box and started to fiddle with the buttons and to feel around the edges of the panel. 'The screwdriver would really come in handy about now,' he muttered.

Panic rising, Rose listened to what the Man was saying.

'And I say that choosing humans who are inexperienced with life beyond their time and planet is just one facet of the irresponsibility of his nature. He constantly brings danger to Earth whether on purpose or inadvertently. But even after all that we have learned today, we still come back to the fact that he committed genocide and for that, we have proof unassailable. For that alone, he must receive the Death Penalty. Thank you.' The Man returned to his chair at the right of the dais.

The floor beneath Rose's feet shook from the roar of the audience, and the sound hit her like a physical blow.

'Doctor,' she begged.

'I'm working as fast as I can,' said Eleven without looking up. 'They've disconnected the damn thing.'

She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Jack. She looked at him through sudden tears in her eyes. Beyond him, she saw John watching her with an unfathomable expression on his face. She looked back at the dais.

The Woman now stood and came forward.

'Many charges have been brought forward during this trial. Some trivial and some serious. Many have been used to create a picture of the Doctor which I feel incomplete at best-a tactic unjustly designed to discredit him, to create a skewed representation. It is crucial to dispel this fear-mongering before considering the most serious charges.

'For example, one charge was that, by befriending Martha Jones, the Doctor drew the attention of the Master to the Jones family thus resulting in the year of imprisonment and torture. But I ask you-if the Doctor is to be considered guilty for making friends with people and thus being open to accusations because of the actions of the Master, that would imply that no-one should make friendships or connections of any kind for fear of possible antagonism from any third party. The implication is absurd and goes against the very idea of all relationships. That implication, I tell you, is that we must never again approach anyone as anything but a stranger. Must we all remain islands and treat one another with fear and suspicion? I don't think so.

'The charges of treason we heard today are also spurious in my opinion. Some have not been proven. The claim that the Doctor sabotaged Prime Minister Harriet Jones' government is unsubstantiated. There is no proof of outside meddling. All public opinion and government decisions were created and documented by humans within the government and within the United Kingdom. The charge of bringing down the Margaret Blaine administration in the city of Cardiff is also unproven, but what _is_ proven is that Ms. Blaine was intent on opening a nuclear power plant with serious safety standard issues that would have caused catastrophic damage had it gone on line during the eruption of the space/time Rift in Cardiff. Interesting, don't you think? If the Doctor was indeed responsible for her disappearance, something which has _not_ been proven here by any means, we also see the result of a safer city and the lack of deaths in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. While I don't argue that the ends justify the means, it is worth a closer look before you charge the Doctor with treason. The charge of intentionally bringing the Master to Earth by fusing the coordinates of his Tardis has already been described by a witness to be a last ditch effort to track and contain the Master. It can be thrown out. Even the charge that the Doctor, by returning to the United Kingdom, is committing treason against the monarch called Queen Victoria is largely irrelevant. There has been recorded proof of the current Queen, Elizabeth the Second, thanking him for saving London from annihilation. This would indicate that he has been forgiven. Even the organization of Torchwood that was set up to watch and repel him resulted in humans being trained to deal with threats from hostile aliens, aliens which, I might add, usually come to Earth on their own: the Sycorax, the Slitheen, the Sontarans, the Weevils (as named by Torchwood) to name only a few. That training has allowed humans to save themselves again and again. The Doctor himself has helped that organization, as he has UNIT countless times.

'I beg the court's indulgence in summarizing today's charges again, but I believe that by doing so, I demonstrate how the Doctor has been done a great disservice by the tactics engaged in by my learned friend, the Prosecutor. Questionable and unsubstantiated charges are misrepresenting the Doctor's character long before we return to the questions of obstruction of justice and of genocide.'

The Woman paused, and Rose could hear Eleven scrabbling vainly at the control box. Up on the dais, Ten had finally raised his head and he was looking straight at Rose. Her heart skipped a beat. 'We're trying,' she whispered.

The Woman spoke again. 'While I recognize that there is more weight to the question of obstruction of justice, as three witnesses have confirmed that the Doctor planned to keep the Master away from Earth justice and deal with him on his own, I ask you this: given the Earth's current level of technology and knowledge of time, could such a mastermind as the Master be safely contained on Earth? He alone brought Earth to its knees. Could Earth deal with a Time Lord at the height of his power? I apologize to any humans present, but I do not think so. There is only one being left in the Universe who could deal with him: the only other Time Lord-the Doctor himself. Thus I ask you: if you consider the Doctor guilty of obstructing justice, do you not think that he may have done so for a very good reason?

'And so we come to the one serious charge that remains. Unassailable proof, Prosecution said. Genocide. We have all seen the evidence presented by a witness and even the defendant himself. But here, I feel it is crucial to consider this. Given what we know of the Doctor, please look at his motives. Time and time again, he has come to Earth to protect those who needed protecting. There are countless examples of this, and UNIT has extensive records that document the benefits the Doctor has brought to Earth, the threats he has stopped. You all heard the witness from UNIT earlier today and the esteem that organization holds for the Doctor.'

'They did come,' whispered Martha. 'Oh good!'

The Woman walked over to Ten. He looked up at her.

'I have no counter-argument for genocide. Can anyone? However, I ask you to think of the Doctor's motives. I maintain that in making the decision to destroy the Dalek armada, he was protecting the entire universe unilaterally and was willing to make the hard decision. It may not have been his right to make that decision, but would anyone here truly want to consider the alternative? The Daleks would not have hesitated to destroy all civilizations in their path. We have seen it before. And so, if you find him guilty, I beg you to consider the mitigating circumstances.

'Thank you.'

As the Woman sat down, a muted angry murmur rumbled through the ampitheatre. There was no explosion of sound as with the Man's statement.

Martha leaned towards Rose. 'Has she given them food for thought, or are they just dismissing her words?'

Rose shook her head. 'I don't know,' she whispered miserably. 'I don't know.' She looked over at Eleven who was still crouched in the corner muttering under his breath.

'It's now or never, Doc,' said Jack urgently.

The Voice spoke, the deep tone filling the ampitheatre. 'The jury will now confer for final judgement.'

'Oh boy,' said Eleven suddenly. 'This isn't going to be pretty. Cover your eyes!'

As she did so, Rose caught a glimpse of Eleven bringing both his hands down in a double-fist, slamming them against the console. Sparks erupted and the explosion blinded her.

When she opened her eyes, their seats were brightly illuminated, everyone on the dais and in the audience was staring at them and Eleven was shaking his hands up and down to cool them. The console was smoking.

'Guards!' shouted the Man and Judoon warriors materialized as if out of nowhere. As they reached for Eleven, he jumped up and down, waving his arms.

'Wait, wait,' he shouted and his voice, now amplified, echoed throughout the ampitheatre. 'I've brought a new witness that can shed an entirely different light on this trial.'

'The time for witnesses has passed,' intoned the Voice.

'No, no, wait, wait, wait,' Eleven continued. 'Through Article 7 of due process as set down by the Shadow Proclamation, the defendant has a right to the best defence possible. Furthermore, this witness is not here to address any specific charge but rather the feasibility of the trial itself. I demand... ooh, strong word there. I like that. I demand that he be heard. I'm, er, sorry about the damage to your call box. It seems to have been mysteriously disconnected just for today. But there you go. Can't quite trust service nowadays, hm?'

'No, it seems we can't,' said the Woman. 'He has made a valid request. If indeed this new witness can call into question the validity of the trial, he needs to be heard. I petition the court to allow him to speak.'

'I protest,' said the Man and he jumped to his feet. 'This trial as well as the containment and extradition of the prisoner has been conducted according to regulations. The Defence is merely trying desperate measures for what she knows to be a losing battle.'

There was a silence, and Rose held her breath. Finally, the Voice spoke. 'The court will hear the new witness.'

'Yes!' Rose whispered and she clenched her fists. Immediately she found them covered by Martha's hands as they rocked back and forth in relief.

'It's your turn now,' hissed Jack to John. 'You'd better make it good.'

John stood and moved out to the aisle. 'Don't you worry about that,' he said, grinning.

The Judoon escorted him down to the front edge of the seating area as the energy bridge shimmered into place. As he walked across, John looked down at the chasm beneath his feet. He looked up again in a hurry and quickened his pace. When he stepped onto the dais, John looked at the witness chair.

'Do I get to sit here?' he drawled. When the Woman nodded, he sat down. 'Oh good. Nice and comfy.'

'Please be brief and to the point,' said the Woman.

'Oh, right. Sorry. Yeah. Well, I hate to tell you this, but this trial has been one big conspiracy.'

'What do you mean by this?' asked the Woman sharply.

'Well, I'm Captain John Hart, human from the 51st century by the way, and I have, or rather had, a vortex manipulator. Handy thing. It gets you in and out where you want and when you want. More or less. You see, I've been travelling around Earth for the past little while, and I've come to know about this cult. A cult that seemed to have it in for the Doctor. Now, knowing that a great many people are interested in him, I thought I'd keep my ears open. Do a little investigating, right?

'At first, they had the simple goal of capturing him. Get him and put him on trial. They'd found a human who resented him. That would be your chief victim, Ms. Francine Jones. The only problem was that she wouldn't recognize him.'

'Excuse me?' asked the Woman.

John crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. 'He had gone and done something that was quite annoying to them. He regenerated. You are aware that Time Lords can regenerate, yes?'

'Yes, yes, I've heard this.' The Woman sounded irritated.

'Good. But try explaining this to a 21st century human. They were going to try associating his new image with what the Jones woman remembered from her ordeals. Not ideal, but workable, maybe. But he kept hopping around in time, pesky fellow. They didn't seem to be able to catch him. Until a week ago. Suddenly, up he pops... the other one. The Doctor that Ms. Jones knew. His image, everything.'

'So you are saying there are two Doctors running around.'

'Yep,' answered John. 'Two of them. Same fellow, sort of. Same origins, but they got duplicated. One regenerated, the other didn't. But they're actually the same guy, believe it or not.'

The Man made a quick gesture and the Judoon flanked Eleven.

'Ah,' said Eleven. 'Hello, there. Now you believe me.'

'Bring him,' barked the Man.

The Judoon pulled Eleven into the aisle and onto the bridge. Soon he stood next to Ten who looked up at him and shook his head.

'So,' continued John, 'the Doctor that Ms. Jones knew, this fellow here,' and he gestured to Ten, 'turns up and gets nabbed by your Judoon. You got yourself a Doctor and the trial got expedited. By whom? And just now, the Tardis got pulled off course. Delayed somehow when we were crossing the shields of this place. Someone didn't want us to get to this session. Who could have done that? I have no idea, though someone on the inside comes to mind.' He turned to the Man and looked at him thoughtfully. The Man glared back. 'Nevertheless, that's not my business. That's yours. Meanwhile, I figure to myself that justice needs to be served. So I leave the defence some clues. After all, if I just start broadcasting information without protection, I know that the cult would be after me. I'm not stupid. But they catch on to me all the same. So, I hook up with this Doctor here, the regenerated one, Number Eleven it seems, and here I am, with information and need of protection.'

'Protection from whom?' asked the Woman.

'From the cult.'

'And who are they,' asked Eleven. 'You keep dancing around this. Come on. Let's have it.'

'You're gonna love it,' chortled John.

'Answer him!' snapped the Woman. 'This is a court, not your personal show.'

'Yes, ma'am,' said John. He looked up at Eleven and then at Ten. 'The Cult of Harold Saxon. I believe you know him better as the Master.'

'What?' gasped Eleven. 'But the Master is dead. I sent him back into the Time War myself.'

Ten stared at Eleven. 'You what?'

'Don't you worry, boys,' said John. 'He's not back. But his cult lives on. The Master's Minions, I like to call them. The M's Ms. But they continue because of him. He planned it all, you see.'

'How?' Ten's voice was strangled.

John grinned. 'Aren't you glad I'm an expert at spying? Oh my. I do love this part.' He turned to Eleven. 'Do you remember the "Master Race"? When every human was turned into the Master?'

Eleven nodded warily. Ten looked back and forth between him and John.

'Imagine a whole world of Masters. All connected, and a billion or so with free time on their hands. Some were helping the original Master with his plans, but others? The Master could think up all the schemes he wanted, hand them over to a billion of his selves and they could set everything up for him. Back-up plans, revenge scenarios, ways to torture and play with his bestest friend from Gallifrey-you name it.

'Problem is, of course, once humans were restored to themselves, they didn't remember anything. They were back to being dull and stupid. But he planned for that, apparently. Had things documented, written down, because he knew that his cult, his minions, the ones still out there, would want to take up the mission for him: to make the Doctor miserable.'

'How do you know all this?' asked Eleven. 'The vortex manipulator wouldn't have helped you get all this knowledge.'

'You're right. It didn't. But I was on Earth when the Master was there. I didn't change when all the other humans did. Maybe because of the manipulator-I was using it at the time and perhaps it disrupted the signal, the wavelength. Or perhaps because I'm not from Earth, not from this century. I don't know. But I watched and hid and I happened on the cult soon after. I pretended to be a Harold Saxon groupie for a time to get in, but after a while they wised up to me.'

'All right,' said Eleven. 'Okay. I can see how they'd want me in my past regeneration so Francine could recognize me. But the Doctor here, or Ten as we could call him, was only on Earth for an hour before the Judoon found him. The only way they could find him so quickly is if they had a genetic pattern to scan for.'

John shrugged. 'They did. Something about a spare hand of yours the Master had a while back? He'd saved the information somewhere. It was handed on to the Judoon so they could pick him up as soon as he appeared.'

'So,' mused Ten as he gazed thoughtfully at his right hand, 'they picked me up with no problem but couldn't find you. That makes me genetically closer to your previous regeneration than you are now. Interesting.'

'So the prisoner _is_ the Doctor,' said the Man triumphantly.

'Yes,' said Eleven, 'but so am I, or haven't you got that through your head yet? Blimey, how many times do I have to explain this?'

'Why did the Master do this?' asked the Woman.

John smiled and shook his head. 'Because there is nothing, it seems, that he loves doing more than playing with his Doctor. Or torturing him. From what I've learned, it seems that he loved the idea of two Doctors: one for play and one to kill, perhaps. This is all a set-up, Madam Counsel. This whole court, this whole trial is just the Master having fun at the Doctor's expense.'

'There were some serious charges,' protested the Man. 'No matter what you say, they matter.'

The Woman turned to him. 'They matter all right, but most of them were based on hear-say and personal opinion. There was very little concrete proof.' She turned to John. 'You seem to imply, a moment ago, that one member of this conspiracy just might be the Prosecutor. Do you mean to implicate him?'

'I protest!' said the Man. 'This is another tactic to divert the court from the true purpose of the trial.'

'Answer the question,' said the Voice.

'Well, uh, yeah, my lord,' said John. 'I mean, I don't have any proof. I've never seen him before in my life. But you've got to wonder-how did he get hooked up with Francine Jones? There's no-one on Earth who knows how to contact the Shadow Proclamation. Not even UNIT as far as I know, though you might want to ask her,' and he nodded at Martha. 'Torchwood, too. They're too busy chasing their own tails around their little Rift. Or were. Ask him, the strapping big fellow for that one.'

Jack scowled.

'Anyways,' continued John, 'worth a look-see, isn't it?'

The Woman walked up to the high desk. 'I respectfully submit that this is a mis-trial and that the charges be thrown out.'

After a pause, the Voice spoke. 'At which point did the prisoner and the alternate Doctor diverge.'

'During the events of the Medusa Cascade,' said Ten with an effort. 'While the Daleks were still in control.'

'Alternate Doctor, do you concur?' the Voice asked.

Eleven looked at Ten for a long moment, and Ten looked steadily back, challenging. Finally Eleven answered, 'I concur.' His voice was heavy.

'As the trial seems to have been shown to flout the principles and intent of the Shadow Proclamation,' the Voice intoned, 'all charges pertaining to both Doctors shall be dropped due to the failure to establish the proper identity of the accused. Also, this court does not condone conspiracy to use the Shadow Proclamation for personal agendas.'

Rose started to cheer, and Martha reached over to hug her, but the Voice continued.

'However, the one charge that is still directed solely towards the prisoner remains unaffected and uncontaminated by this question of identity and possible conspiracy-that of Genocide. This crime, according to the evidence presented, was carried out by the prisoner alone. Jury, you shall deliberate on this charge and this charge only.'

Rose sank back in her seat. 'Oh no,' she whispered. 'No...' Helplessly, she looked over at Jack, but his head was sunk in his hands. On the other side of her, Martha sat stock still, horrified.

'This session is now concluded. There will be a recess until the Jury has deliberated.'

The Judoon pushed both Eleven and John back over the bridge to the front edge of the seating area and then marched back to the dais. The bridge shimmered into nothing.

_To be continued_


	17. The Verdict

_Review Responses_

_Ariel3:_ Heee... Great minds think alike (or something like that…) As for getting Ten off, well... just you keep reading!

_CaptainThetaSigma:_ Thank you! I'm glad that you like the idea. I too love calling them by their numbers. I feel as if those numbers have become names in their own right, far beyond digital labelling.

_TheCheater:_ Thank you very much for your kind words. I'm curious about your reaction to this chapter below, given your reaction to the last one...

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><p><strong>Chapter <strong>**17: **_The __Verdict_

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><p>'It didn't help,' said Jack furiously back in the Tardis. 'All that and we're still back to the one charge he can't avoid.'<p>

'I don't know,' said Eleven, as he fidgeted with the sonic screwdriver. 'By stating the rest of the trial to be invalid, they've cast doubt on what's left.'

'Or they've made it easier to just look at one thing. Guilty? Yes or no,' said Martha. '"Unassailable proof".'

'Well, I did my bit as promised,' said John. 'So I want my manipulator back in one piece.'

'You wait,' said Jack. 'With the rest of us. Got it?'

'With you lot? You're all morose. Cheer up. That lady made a mighty fine speech. She'll win them over.' John stood up. 'I'm going to explore your Tardis. Beats watching all of you.' He headed down the stairs and into a corridor.

Eleven shot him a glance and then went back to pulling off the end of his screwdriver and reattaching it, over and over. 'Funny,' he mused. 'If this had happened right after the Medusa Cascade, I would have been more inclined to accept the trial. He did commit genocide. There's no denying that. But then again, I'm hardly blameless.'

'You weren't there,' said Jack. 'You were inside the Tardis when he did it. You had no idea.'

'Maybe not,' said Eleven. 'But I've done it before. What does that say about me? I should be in that trial just as much as Ten.'

'Don't you dare,' said Rose and she stalked over to him. 'Don't you dare. We need you. The universe needs you. I'm sorry, but I know what the Daleks could do, wanted to do.' She wound her arm around him.

'Daleks,' murmured Eleven. 'Yes, of course. The Daleks.'

Silence fell.

The Tardis hummed low in the background.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_**Ten**_

Empty above and empty below. Floating still, with sounds of scurrying, voices, anger, and anxiety. What will be, will be. The universe still expands, ribbons of time weave their chaotic patterns, and the galaxies turn, turn in their own spinning dance. Although he sits in a pool of light, all around him is darkness. Beside him and behind him are beings who will decide his fate, but before him are the forests of the living, multitudes who sit in the dark and watch him. In front of him, across the chasm, the box becomes softly lit and he sees her, his anchor, her bright hair a beacon in the void. The others are there too, and his other self, different but the same. They are all clearer to him now, and he misses their touch. He imagines that if he were able to hold her now, he would not let go. He imagines he can hear her heart beating in its simple, syncopated, two-beat time signature, that distinctive human rhythm-the rhythm that is his now, but not really his.

She is looking at him, and even though she is some distance away, he can see her twisting her fingers into a knot. He wants to gently untangle them. But there is his other self who can untangle them if necessary. He looks down at his own long fingers, lying relaxed against the armrests. The people near him are speaking now, and so he carefully withdraws from the spinning universe and he focuses, his gaze upon her and his ears tuned to the insistent stream of formality, of ritual, of tension.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_**Rose**_

'The Man isn't here,' Rose whispered, not taking her eyes off Ten.

Jack leaned across Eleven. 'Seems like John hit a nerve.'

Eleven merely nodded, his gaze, like Rose's, fixed on Ten. She crept a hand over to his and they clasped.

'Oh god,' said Martha. 'I hope they don't draw it out. Just tell us.'

As if answering her plea, the Voice spoke. 'The verdict in the trial of the Shadow Proclamation against the Doctor has been reached. In accordance with the fact that the parameters of the trial have narrowed considerably, the verdict is a result of examination of witnesses and evidence pertaining solely to the charge of genocide. Despite the events of the previous session, this trial will not be contested, reconvened or repeated. The judgement given today will be final.'

Ten stared back at Rose, and she tried to smile at him but to no avail. He must have noticed her attempt, for he smiled at her gently, the corners of his eyes crinkling just a bit. A smile for her and her alone.

'Oh, Doctor,' she whispered.

The Voice continued. 'The Jury has spoken.'

At this, the curving row of high seats at the back of the dais became illuminated for the first time. A range of ten jurors from a mix of races sat there. Rose could see humans, a Raxacoricofallapatorian, a Sontaran, a Krillitane and an Adiposian. She also saw another alien who looked like the one who laughed at Eleven in the bar. Green liquid bubbled in its breathing apparatus. The name plate said "Hath." Others she didn't recognize, but the name plates included their race and among them she saw "Graske" and "Vespiform."

'The Defendant will rise.'

At these words, the Woman came forward to stand beside Ten whose shackles snapped apart. The glowing blue circle parted around him and he rose. With the Woman, he turned to face the high desk of the judge.

'The Defendant, known as the Doctor, and of the appearance of your tenth regeneration, the Jury has come to a final and unanimous verdict.'

Rose gripped Eleven's hand hard. He reached over with his free hand and closed it over hers.

'Doctor, you have been found guilty of the crime of Genocide. The punishment for this is death.'

The roar of the audience crashed over them.

'No,' whimpered Rose. 'No, no.' Beside her, Martha choked back a sob. Past Eleven, came the sound of Jack swearing. Eleven sat as still as stone.

Ten stood tall and straight.

The Voice spoke again and the tumult from the audience quietened almost reluctantly. 'However, the Jury has also considered the mitigating circumstances. It has been noted that if the Daleks had not been eradicated, the universe would have indeed faced a grave peril. History has taught us that the Daleks were only ever kept in check by the Time Lords themselves. While this cannot excuse the act of Genocide, it would be remiss to ignore it. Therefore the sentence shall be commuted to something more appropriate.'

'Oh my god,' whispered Martha. Rose snatched a glance at Eleven who was now leaning forward.

'Given that countless beings in the universe owe you their current safety, and will hopefully continue to benefit from your expertise, you will not be sentenced to either execution or imprisonment.'

Rose sat back limply, weakly. 'Thank you, thank you.'

'Wait,' murmured Eleven. He stroked her forearm gently.

'However,' continued the Voice, 'you will be sanctioned.'

Ten nodded slightly, the bright lights above him catching the soft spikes of his dark hair that shadowed his forehead.

'You will no longer be allowed to roam freely throughout space and time. You must report to the Shadow Proclamation prior to every occasion that you travel in time or from the planet you designate as your home. To ensure your compliance, you will be tagged with a tracking device. If you fail to comply, you will be hunted down and executed on the spot.

'Do you understand this sentence?'

Ten swallowed and nodded. 'I do.'

'Good. You will recognize the method of tagging as this device was developed by the Time Lords themselves. You will not be able to remove it without causing serious injury to yourself and anyone aiding you in that removal. Once you naturally die, the device will recognize this and simply cease to function after emitting a signal that informs the Shadow Proclamation of this event. Do you understand?'

Once again, Ten nodded. His hands clenched.

'Then kneel.'

'What...' whispered Rose. 'They're doing this right here?'

This time, it was Eleven who gripped her hand hard. 'Yes,' he said.

As Ten knelt, still facing the Judge, two Judoon warriors and a humanoid with slicked-down blue hair and wearing a white coat came forward from the back of the dais. The humanoid carried something that Rose could not quite see. It looked a little like a large handgun, but white and steel with odd markings. The Woman briefly laid her hand on Ten's shoulder with a comforting squeeze and then stepped back.

One Judoon stood in front of Ten.

'Bow your head,' said the Voice.

Ten did so, and the Judoon gripped his right shoulder with one huge hand and a fistful of his hair with the other so that he could not rise or move his head.

The humanoid brushed the ends of Ten's hair away from the back of his neck and then applied a small square of cloth damp with some chemical. As the cloth was rubbed against his neck, Ten shut his eyes.

Once the disinfecting was completed, the gun-like device was raised and the nozzle touched to Ten's neck. For a moment the humanoid moved the device slightly and changed its angle. But once it was satisfied, the humanoid pressed it hard against Ten and touched the trigger.

A sharp crack sounded and Ten's body jerked. As the device was removed, a thin trickle of blood ran down his neck. The humanoid wiped it away and applied a bandage that shone metallic under the lights.

The Judoon let go of Ten and moved back.

'You may rise,' said the Voice, and Ten did so, a little shakily. 'You have been sentenced and tagged. Henceforth, you will comply with our dictates or face execution.

'This trial has concluded.'

The deep bell sounded, something Rose had not heard since the beginning of the trial. As it welled up in a low vibration that she felt in the pit of her stomach, she could see the footbridge shimmer into place over the gulf. On the dais, the Woman stood beside Ten and said something to him. She then walked forward onto the bridge and he followed her.

And then Rose was scrambling past Eleven and Jack, and Ten was there, right there, in front of her.

'Doctor,' she breathed, and his long arms encircled her. He held her close.

'My beautiful Rose,' he whispered and he buried his face in her hair.

They stood like that, heedless of the audience and of the officials, until Jack cleared his throat.

'I hate to interrupt you two-in fact, you have no idea how much-but I think we should leave.'

Reluctantly they parted and only now Rose realized the noise that had grown around them. Everyone on the dais and the audience, which was now illuminated, were watching them.

'Yeah,' said Ten and he took Rose's hand.

'Let's get out of here,' she whispered, and they started up the stairs.

When they emerged into the hallway, all was pandemonium. But although they were buffeted by the crowds clamouring for attention and swooped by the flying recording devices, Ten merely put a protective arm around Rose and they kept moving in silence followed by the others.

_To be continued_


	18. Choices

_Review Responses_

_TheCheater:_ There will be options offered to Ten for what he wants to do in the future. And even his sentence he's going to see as a opportunity for him. Don't be too sad. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 18:<strong> _Choices_

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><p>As soon as they reached the safety of the Tardis, Eleven turned to Ten and said, 'You, Sickbay, now.'<p>

It didn't take long before he was sitting on the bed, divested of his prison tunic. Eleven pulled down scanners attached to cables and poles and fiddled with equipment, and Martha applied her stethoscope to Ten's chest and back. Rose contented herself with holding his hand, and Jack stood back and watched the lot of them, grinning from ear to ear.

'Ahh,' Jack said after some time had passed, 'this is a sight for sore eyes. Hey, Martha, is there any part of him you need me to examine?'

Martha giggled. 'I don't think so, Jack, unless Rose says otherwise.'

Rose laughed giddily. 'Have a hand. I'm sure he won't mind that.' She looked up at Ten. 'Would you?'

Ten smiled and held out his hand. Jack grinned and began to massage the palm and wrist.

Ten sighed. 'Oh, that's good.'

'Good heavens,' said Eleven as he came around the bed. 'It's a love-in here. Sorry to break it up, but I need you to lie down.'

Ten nodded and he complied, his long frame covering the length of the bed. His ribs jutted up in sharp relief.

'Someone needs fattening up,' commented Jack.

Eleven played with the controls and positioned the scanner. 'Just relax.'

'Good idea,' said Rose. 'I think he's gonna run every scan the Tardis has before he lets you get up.' When there was no answer, she peered at his face.

'He's relaxed, all right,' said Martha. 'He's fast asleep.'

'Good,' said Eleven. 'He needs it. Out. Out, the lot of you. We can all fawn over him later, if you want.' He made shooing gestures with his hands. Then he covered Ten carefully with a blanket so as not to wake him. 'You too, Rose,' he added gently. 'He'll still be here when he wakes up.'

'I should hope so,' said Martha as she headed for the door, 'unless he walks in his sleep.'

'Don't give him any ideas,' said Eleven darkly. He pushed a few more buttons. 'There. Those will run automatically while we're gone.'

Rose bent down and kissed Ten's forehead softly and then followed the others out.

When they gathered in the console room, Jack looked around. 'Where's John?'

Eleven looked rather shamefaced. 'Ah.' He reached over and casually tweaked a control. He faced them again and crossed his arms. 'He should be here in a minute.'

True to Eleven's word, John arrived, hair plastered to his head.

'Hey,' he growled. 'What's your ship playing at. I go down all these bloody hallways and no matter where I go, all I find is the bloody swimming pool. I swear it was all on purpose.'

Eleven shrugged. 'I don't control my ship. She does what she likes.'

'Well, tell her to sod off,' John muttered. 'So, what's the scoop? You lot are all smiles, so I wager the Doctor got let off the hook.'

'In a manner of speaking,' said Eleven. 'I-'

A loud knocking interrupted his next words and Jack jumped up, ran down and opened the doors. It was the Woman. She held out her hands. In them was the bundle of Ten's clothing.

'Everything has concluded,' she said. 'You are free to go at any time once the Doctor, Ten, has chosen his home planet.'

Eleven took the clothing. 'He's asleep,' he said shortly.

'Tell him to take his time,' she said.

'What happened to the Man, the Prosecutor?' asked Rose suddenly. 'He wasn't there this time.'

The Woman's lips twisted slightly in a grimace. 'A new investigation has begun into the events described by John Hart.'

'Good,' said John with a smirk. 'Glad to know people are listening to me.'

'Oh yes,' said the Woman. 'In fact, as the primary witness, you are required to remain here during the course of the investigation. We also require your vortex manipulator. It will be retained as evidence and returned to you once the investigation and trial, if appropriate, has concluded.'

'What?' ground out John. He looked back at Eleven angrily, but Eleven only shrugged.

'What can I do,' he said. 'Ring me up, drop me a line, gimme a buzz after it's all finished. We'll see about repairing it then.'

'What about the Doctor,' asked Jack. 'Him, I mean,' and he pointed a thumb at Eleven.

The Woman smiled slightly. 'The alleged conspiracy has embarrassed the Proclamation. They've always had good relations with the Doctor... for the most part. They don't like being manipulated. You will have no further trouble. The case is closed.'

'There you are,' said John. 'That's what I did for you, Jack. I knew your Doctor, either him or the other one, could only be truly exonerated if the whole scenario was played out and busted wide open. Bit of a misery getting through it, but cleaner in the end. My gift to you.'

'Your gift?' snarled Eleven. 'What, tagged like an animal, stuck in one place and time, barely able to move? You call that clean?' He waggled a finger at John but gave up and fitfully ran his hand through his hair. 'Clean?' he muttered.

John edged out the doors. 'Beats being executed, dunnit? That's what the Master was hoping for.'

'Goodbye, John,' said Jack firmly and pushed the doors to.

'The Master,' said Martha. 'Every time I've seen him in action, or heard of him, it's... it's like he has a love-hate relationship with you.'

'It's his revenge,' said Eleven, and he sat down wearily on the top step facing the doors. 'Making me watch Ten suffer. That's how he operates. Can't quite kill me off. Just plays games. He'd've been quite happy if Ten had been executed. Not a real Time Lord in his mind. Just a knife to twist in my gut. Not worthy of attention.' He looked at Martha who sat down beside him. 'But you were. Why do you think your mother became the chief witness for the Prosecution?'

Martha gasped. 'Because of what I did during that year?'

Eleven put a hand on her knee. 'I'm sorry. No doubt her "psychologists" worked on making her more suggestible, ready to press charges. I'm really sorry you had to see that.'

Martha covered his hand with her own. 'Don't be,' she said firmly. 'That was the Master's doing. Not yours. I won't have you blaming yourself. You hear me?'

'Just as Rose's own misery watching Ten,' said Jack, 'I bet, was meant as more guilt for you, Doc. Remember, the Master knew everything that Martha and Mickey knew about Rose. They were changed into the Master race. He knew that you, er, that you were fond of her.'

Martha shuddered. 'Don't remind me. You have no idea how glad I don't remember being him.'

'But he's dead,' objected Rose. 'Or back in the Time War. How could he do all this to you now?'

'He was always astoundingly brilliant,' said Eleven bitterly. 'Something like this was just what he excelled at. Strategy and a warped understanding of how to use emotions in others. Making elaborate back-up plans? Perhaps even implanting those memories into Corporal Miller-not a problem for him. He must have known his plan with the Time Lords could fail.'

'Well, he failed again,' said Jack soundly. 'Ten didn't get executed and we're all alive and well.'

'I'm not so sure he failed,' murmured Eleven. He suddenly rose and returned to the console. 'But onward to a new day, yes?'

'That sounds good to me,' said Rose staunchly and she joined him at his side. 'Like Martha said. The Master did this. Not you. Got it?'

'Yeah,' said Eleven. 'Got it.' He smiled at her, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

As if Ten's sleepiness was an infection, they all drifted off to various parts of the Tardis. Rose, Martha and Jack found their old rooms and soon they were napping. But after a few hours, one by one, as if following a homing signal, they woke and wandered back to the console room (Rose first peeked in the Sickbay but Ten hadn't moved). Eleven was already there, tinkering with the console.

Rose and Martha sat on the jump seats. Jack sat on the floor with his arms propping him up from behind, and Eleven leaned against the console.

'Well, as a doctor,' said Martha, 'I prescribe some exotic location where there is absolutely nothing going on. You lot need to relax and sort yourselves out.'

'Sort ourselves-?' began Eleven.

'Yeah,' said Jack. 'That's the ticket.'

'You won't stay?' asked Rose.

'Nah,' said Martha. 'I want to see my family. My mother needs me. Also, I need to get back to make my final report to UNIT. If the Doctor, Ten, I mean, wants to stay on Earth, then they need to know.'

'Another organization that's going to track him,' said Rose.

'No, but don't you see?' said Martha. 'They've always had the highest respect for him... for you.' She looked at Eleven. 'They won't give him trouble, and if anything, they'll help him with settlement on Earth. There are a lot of things that can be smoothed over. Identity, documents, housing...'

'That would be a lot of help,' said Jack.

Rose nodded doubtfully. 'But what's going to happen now? I mean, the Tardis is his home, really.'

'He can't travel freely with that tag,' Eleven reminded her.

'Can't we... can't you get it out?' she asked in a small voice.

Eleven hunched his shoulders. 'I don't know. That's what some of those scans were for. When I have a look at them, I'll see.'

'What would you do with it if you could get it out?' asked Jack. 'Leave it on Earth so they think he's there?'

'Can they detect it if it's in the Tardis?' asked Rose.

'No,' said Eleven. 'Nothing can be detected in here.'

'Then if you can't get it out, we can stay on the Tardis travelling with you,' said Rose.

Eleven looked at her. 'Maybe,' he said.

Silence fell.

Eventually, Jack stretched and started to stand. 'It's probably time I figured out...' He stopped, looking up at the staircase. He straightened.

Ten stood at the top, blinking and with hair wildly mussed. Still in the prison bottoms and wrapped in a dressing gown, he held a steaming mug of tea.

Rose jumped to her feet and ran up the stairs. 'Give me that,' she said softly and she took the mug from him. They walked down together and she pushed him down onto the seat she had just vacated. She handed the mug back. He took a sip and smiled.

'Ahh,' he said. 'I needed that.'

'How are you feeling?' asked Martha.

Ten considered this. 'Better,' he said. 'Sleep and tea-best things in the universe.'

'How's your neck,' asked Jack.

'Sore,' Ten admitted. 'But could be worse.'

'How...' Rose hesitated. 'How is that Time Vortex.'

'Better.'

'The scans should have finished by now,' said Eleven.

Ten nodded. 'Yeah. I had a look. Saw what you did.'

'And?' prompted Eleven.

'Can we get that tag out of you?' asked Rose. She held her breath.

Ten smiled at her gently and reached for her hand. Their fingers entwined.

'No,' he said. 'It's attached to the medulla... that is, wound itself into my nervous system. There is no way to remove it. Maybe if we were on Gallifrey, but...'

Rose closed her eyes against tears that suddenly threatened to fall.

'Damn,' said Jack.

Eleven abruptly turned his back to them and planted both hands on the console. He hung his head.

'I'm sorry,' said Martha.

Ten looked around at them all. 'You think that it should be removed?'

Rose opened her eyes.

'Of course we do,' said Jack. 'Don't you?'

Ten didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a long swallow of tea and closed his own eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he found everyone staring at him.

'I'm not so sure,' he said. 'I did commit genocide. The verdict was correct.'

'But it was the _Daleks_,' ground out Jack. 'You had to do it. They would have committed genocide of a lot more races if you hadn't stopped them.'

'Perhaps,' said Ten. 'I don't necessarily regret what I did, but then... What does that say about me? I've been wandering around as the last Time Lord for too long. Doing as I pleased, no accountability.'

'You know damn well all the other things you did was as me,' said Eleven.

Ten looked at him somberly. 'I know. Both of us. Together. But in the end, it _was_ about me. Me alone. You can't take that on. You mustn't. You're the last full Time Lord, and you need to stay free.'

Eleven took a long look at Ten. At last he said slowly, 'The Defence Barrister said that you weren't helping her at all, that you didn't care if you were found guilty. You were protecting me. Weren't you.'

Ten looked steadily back at him but didn't answer.

'The Daleks are back,' Eleven said. 'I tried... I tried again to...' He looked at the floor. 'After I told you off at the Medusa Cascade. But I failed. I hated that. What does that say about me?'

No-one answered.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

After some time, Martha broke the silence.

'You need to decide where you want to stay,' she said. 'Whether or not you travel on the Tardis, I can't imagine the Proclamation will let us leave until you've told them something.'

Ten nodded slowly. He looked at Rose. 'It depends on what you want. I thought your current Earth would be best, but...' He looked down at his tea. 'Perhaps you'd rather travel in the Tardis with Eleven.'

Rose went still. She looked up at Eleven and then at Ten.

'Whatever you want, Rose,' said Eleven. 'It's your choice.'

'I... uh...' Rose's voice was strangled. 'I think... current Earth is best.'

'You sure?' asked Ten, his voice low. He didn't look up.

'Yeah,' said Rose, her voice a little stronger. 'I'm... I'm sure.'

'Current Earth it is,' said Eleven. 'Let's get that done, shall we?' He touched a button on the console and headed for the steps.

Ten put his mug down on the floor and got up. 'Yeah.' He followed Eleven down to the doors. Rose watched them leave and suddenly ran down after them.

By the time she joined them outside and slipped her hand into Ten's, officials were already approaching them.

Ten smiled down at her and he squeezed her hand. As she responded, Eleven spoke with the officials quietly.

'Bow your head,' said the official carrying a similar device to the one used in the court.

Ten obeyed and the official touched the tip of the device to Ten's neck with a soft beep. He winced but remained silent. Rose could feel his fingers tense around hers.

'The information is entered,' the official intoned. 'You have one week.'

Rose looked at Eleven quizzically, but he simply thanked the officials tersely and headed back inside the Tardis.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

They dropped Jack off first, back at the bar Rose and Eleven had visited on their search.

'You're sure you wouldn't like to see Gwen first?' asked Eleven.

'I'm sure,' said Jack. 'She doesn't need me messing around in her life again. Torchwood is gone. Let it stay that way.'

Rose stepped in front of him. 'She wanted you to come back. Come on, give that to her, yeah?'

Jack shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Rose. It was good to see her, really good. But that's the way it's gotta be. And I...' He paused for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. 'I'm done with Earth.'

Rose reached up and hugged him. 'Maybe one day?'

Jack hugged her back. 'Yeah. Maybe.' He stepped back from her and then embraced Martha.

'I'll let Gwen know what happened,' Martha said. 'Any message for her?'

'Nah,' he said. 'What would I say?' He turned to Eleven. 'Take care. Don't use up the rest of your regenerations too fast, you hear?'

'I'll try not to,' said Eleven.

'And you,' Jack said, turning to Ten, 'you are a sight for sore eyes. Hell, I must be crazy leaving so soon, right after we got you back.'

'Sorry,' said Ten. He stuck his hands in his pockets. 'I've had a rotten sense of timing lately. But you take care of yourself, all right?'

'I always seem to manage to,' said Jack. He wavered a moment and then suddenly, as if making up his mind, grabbed Ten by the shoulders and kissed him soundly on the lips. Just as abruptly, he turned away, yanked open the doors and was gone.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Martha was next. She hugged all of them in turn, but she kept her arms around Ten the longest. 'I'll find a good spot for you, I promise,' she said to him. 'A choice of spots. UNIT will stand by you. I know they will.'

'Thanks,' Ten murmured and he enveloped her in his arms. 'Thanks for everything, Martha Jones. See you soon.'

'You bet,' she said and smiled warmly at him. 'Don't think that you'll be able to escape me now. I'll be coming to check on you. No-one else will understand that crazy physiology of yours.'

Ten grinned. 'Don't doubt it for a minute.'

He stepped back but Martha still stood in the doorway. She looked at Eleven. 'That goes for you too, Doctor. I know you have Amy and Rory to keep you company, and that's a good thing. But don't you forget there's a welcome here any time you need it, all right?'

Eleven smiled and hunched his shoulders. 'Yeah,' he said.

Martha smiled back knowingly, and then she turned to Rose. 'Whenever you need me, okay? Wherever. I'll be here for you.'

Rose crossed over to her and hugged her hard. 'Thanks,' she whispered. 'Take care, you hear?'

'I will.' Martha grinned and firmly closed the Tardis doors behind her.

'Aw, Martha,' said Ten and he shook his head admiringly. 'Marvellous Martha. UNIT's lucky to have her.'

'I agree,' said Eleven. 'Now, time for a little trip.' He bounded up the stairs. Ten looked at Rose and raised his eyebrows. She looked back and shrugged. She took his hand and they followed Eleven up the steps.

_To be continued_


	19. What's It to Be?

Review Responses

_The Cheater: _Eleven has a small treat in store for Ten and Rose. Nothing terribly clever, but caring.

_Ariel3: _Yes, a little more to come. I'm glad Ten's voice came through. :)

_SuddenPsychosis: _Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. I enjoy writing serious fic as they give me more scope to explore and examine characters and "what if?" scenarios. But my next story won't be as tense. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 19:<strong> _What's It to Be?_

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><p>Waves roared, curled over and crashed in the dusk. Two Time Lords knelt on the aqua-marine sand of a small alien moon, intently staring down at a spot circled by stones. One of them placed two large twigs parallel to each other between two logs placed opposite each other inside the circle. The other responded with another pair of twigs atop the first. Working in silence, their movements almost like a dance, the structure grew. Finally one of the Time Lords placed a top piece on the creation and both sat back on their heels and looked at Rose.<p>

'Very impressive,' she said, trying not to laugh.

'I should think so!' said Eleven. 'By the angle it is placed in relation to the current wind direction, it will funnel any flame instantly up and light the entire thing.'

'Ah,' said Rose.

'Setting 37b,' said Ten and he handed her his sonic screwdriver.

Rose selected the setting and cautiously touched the tip to the base of the structure. As she withdrew, the flame eagerly leaped up, grew and engulfed the structure.

'Right!' said Eleven. 'I'll just pop back to the Tardis for the proper campfire supplies.' He got up and strode away.

'The stars are coming out,' said Ten softly. He settled himself with his back against a large rock and he looked up. 'No civilization here, no light pollution. Grand!'

Rose perched herself on a nearby rock at the water's edge. The dark, blue water lapped around the edge, the small sounds clear over the more distant roar of the surf. She leaned over to gaze at Ten, elbows on the rock and chin in hands.

'You said the Time Vortex was better. Are you... How is it?'

Ten considered this. 'It's still there,' he said at last. 'It will never disappear-I will always see it, I think. But I can see through it, focus on other things.'

'When you look at me,' said Rose, 'do you see me only, or do you see those... those ribbons, vortixes?'

'Vortices,' Ten corrected absently. 'I see all of it. All the time. But I can focus on you and I don't think about the other things. I can ignore them when I need to... mostly.'

Rose hesitated for a moment and then quietly said, 'The Doctor insisted the Tardis was helping you, showing you the vortex. I don't get it. It's given you so much trouble.'

Ten tilted his head a little, thinking. 'No. Not trouble. Thing is, Eleven was right to call me dangerous. Being human-I didn't know how to deal with it. Destroying the Daleks-anger and hate was too easy. Being human, the intensity of those emotions-I couldn't control them.'

'But you were all right after that,' objected Rose. 'You never hurt anyone in the other universe.'

Ten shook his head. 'No one to test me. No Daleks, the Cybermen were gone... Any aliens we met had no emotional resonance for me.' He wrinkled his nose. 'Did I just say that? _Emotional resonance_. Ha! I'm definitely not back to my old self yet.' He frowned at this and then shrugged. But when he began speaking again, his expression was somber.

'See, Rose, being made human-it wasn't me, wasn't my culture. Adopted culture, maybe, but not mine, deep down. No Tardis, no regeneration, my sense of time dimming, disappearing-it was erasing my identity, who I was. I felt angry, ungrounded.'

'You didn't show it,' murmured Rose.

'Maybe not,' he admitted. 'But you were my anchor. You helped balance me. I could forget at times that I was losing sight of who I was... had been. But without you? I don't want to think of what I might have become.' He shuddered briefly at that and fell silent.

'And now?' asked Rose. 'Is the vortex helping?'

'The vortex?' Ten looked up and flashed her a brilliant smile, all teeth, and crinkles fanning out from the corners of his eyes. Rose felt her heart leap at the pure joy in his face. 'And the Tardis. I feel Time Lord again. I feel Time flowing again. Stronger than ever before, before I was split off from Eleven even. I feel it _and_I feel human. It all balances. I feel whole. Whatever it is I'm supposed to be now, I can be. Oh, Rose, I feel so alive!'

Rose grinned back, but then her smile dimmed. 'Even when you're not travelling on the Tardis? With that tag, you'll have to stay on Earth a lot more.'

'It's all right,' said Ten softly. 'I can still feel her. That too is stronger. We're in the same universe, she and I. I know it, and... and she knows it. And she will have Eleven. She'll be content, because I am in him too.'  
>It was Rose's turn to tilt her head and consider this. Finally she spoke in a low voice. 'That... that mind scan-did that hurt?'<p>

Ten shuddered and looked away. But when he looked back his face brightened. 'It had a good effect afterward, though,' he said cheerfully. 'I found it easier to think of mundane, practical things. That telepath was very no-nonsense, direct. And once Eleven did his bit, things were easier. A bit of trial by fire, but there you are.'

'Good,' murmured Rose.

Ten leaned his head back against the rock. 'Look at that,' he said softly. 'We can see the arm of the galaxy. Looking inward. You'd call that the Milky Way on Earth.'

'I know what it's called,' said Rose, mock affronted. 'I know something about stars.'

'Sorry,' said Ten mildly. 'Bit of a habit, you know, explaining things to humans.' He contemplated the stars again. 'Wherever I live on Earth, I hope it won't be in a big city. I want to see the stars.'

'But they're in your mind all the time,' said Rose.

'It's not the same,' he protested. 'I want to physically see the stars. I can... I can... there's a connection... I can feel it. I don't want to be shut in a city with light pollution and cloud cover-shut down on the ground.'

'There's lots of cloud in England,' she said.

'I know,' he said. 'But there are clear nights, and without light pollution, there's a chance.'

At that moment, Eleven returned. 'I come bearing gifts,' he said triumphantly. He laid down, in rapid succession, extra-long toasting forks, sausages, a loaf of bread, and blankets.

'Sausages! Brilliant!' said Ten. He leaned forward, took a sausage, speared it and positioned the toasting fork against the ring of stones so that the sausage hung over the flames.

'What's the name of this planet?' asked Rose. She lazily moved her foot to and fro in the water, stirring up the aqua-marine sand. The soft grains flowed silkily between her toes.

'Vel,' said Eleven. 'It's a moon, actually. Almost entirely deserted. Very few people come here. Those who do want to keep it unspoilt.'

'Three cheers for that,' said Ten. 'You must have found this place recently. I don't remember it.'

'I know,' said Eleven. He looked sidelong at Rose. 'Not long after I left you two in the alternate universe-which was a mistake... for several reasons. I can see that now.'  
>'Took you a while,' said Rose.<p>

Eleven looked away then, but Rose went over to him and put her arms around him. She hugged him hard.

'You are such a silly oaf, you know?'

He hugged her back cautiously, glancing over to Ten who only smiled.

Rose sat down between the two of them. 'Something I need to know, though. Why did you leave us there. Why him. Why me. And don't give me that "healing him" bit. I mean really. Why did you leave us. I was going to stay with you forever. After all that time...'

Eleven looked at her, swallowed, and then stared at his feet.

Rose inched closer to him. 'Cat got your tongue?' she asked softly.

Eleven didn't answer at first, but then said in a low voice, 'She's not going to drop it, is she.'

Ten shook his head. 'No. She's not.' He stood up, winced, and then stretched. Crackles and pops sounded clearly over the gentle surf. 'Ooh, that's better. Stiff from all that sitting and lying about.' He sat back down again, took his stick from the fire and blew on the smoking sausage. Satisfied, he propped it up out of the direct flame. But when he turned to look at Rose, his face, partly shadowed and partly lit by the flames, was somber.

'Rose,' he said, 'he can't tell you.'

'Why not?' she asked.

'It would hurt too much, telling you.' He looked past her to Eleven who was watching him warily. 'Which is why I'm going to.'

'Wh-what?' Eleven straightened sharply and stared at him.

Ten shifted so he was sitting with his right side against the rock and facing Rose directly. 'It's a funny thing, being a Time Lord,' he mused, as if he hadn't seen Eleven's reaction. 'You get so old, and, I dare say, wise, but you never quite let go of all things from your youth. Perhaps not so foolish. We need to be young at heart sometimes. Otherwise we forget where and when we've been. But you don't get to choose what. And sometimes?' He took a deep breath and blew it out noisily. 'Sometimes we become just as lost as the young and foolish...'

He leaned forward and gazed at Eleven again. 'She needs to know. Not knowing is like a sore that won't close. And you need to let go-let go of that time, that decision. And so do I, because if I had been in your position, I might well have done the same thing.'  
>Eleven's jaw worked for a moment as if he were trying to speak, but at last he nodded and stared into the fire.<p>

'I've had a lot of time to think, sitting in that prison cell. And I know him as well as I know myself.' Ten paused and looked at Rose. 'I'm afraid I'm going to start to babble.'

'I'm listening,' she said firmly.

He rested his back against the rock, looking out to sea. 'We've wandered around for a long time-last of the Time Lords. Hard to do alone, but you get used to it. Bit like a protective shell. No-one can touch you. The curse becomes the blessing, if in a tiny way. No accountability. There's a freedom there, and guilt for enjoying it. But what happens when there are suddenly two of you? A rival infringing on that unique status, a challenger of decisions. And yet... and yet, that means someone who can understand, who knows exactly how you feel. But... too sudden. Too close, too much. And I was-what was it?-full of fire and revenge, blood and anger: a threat, a reminder of what he was too soon after the Time War.

'And you, Rose, with your finite life. "Forever" would have been so short for him, and the pain so bitter at the end.' Ten picked up a pebble and threw it almost violently into the sea. The splash was small against the sound of the surf. 'How can one deal with all that? It must have felt such a relief to have the alternate universe and the two of us to fix, to solve... to avoid.'

'It didn't end there, though, did it.' He looked at Eleven who continued to stare into the flames. 'After, you would have regretted it. You chose to lose Rose again, to lose me. I don't know what I am to you. In one way, I'm yourself. I could also be your brother. But then again, you and Donna created me. In some peculiar way, you could possibly think of me as a son. But no matter the label, you lost both of us. Family, connection, love. That's a pretty heady mix of emotions. Overwhelming. Too many layers to handle after being on your own for so long. No wonder the noble sacrifice of Rose to fix me, and the "happy-ever-after" you thought you were giving us were so tempting. They relieved you from responsibility, let you live vicariously through us, and it allowed you to continue as the carefree, adventurous Time Lord with no attachments. Safe. An island.'

'Safe,' repeated Eleven bitterly. 'Just like the Time Lords themselves, never getting involved. The coward's way out. I only had myself to blame.'

'Left with nothing but guilt,' said Ten softly. 'I'm so sorry. I imagine you must have travelled on your own for a while after that. I would have. After Donna...' He hesitated then. 'I haven't asked... Haven't dared to. Did you wipe her memories in time?'

'Yes,' said Eleven, his voice low.

Ten closed his eyes tightly. After a moment he opened them again. 'She must have begged you not to. Donna, Donna... She wouldn't have wanted to return to what she was before.'  
>'She didn't,' said Eleven. 'Another decision I made for someone else. Overriding them.' He looked at Rose. 'I do a lot of that. You've been right to call me on it.'<p>

Rose said nothing, but she reached over, took his hand and squeezed it.

'And you've been running ever since,' said Ten.

Eleven looked out to sea. 'Yeah,' he said. He kept his hand in Rose's.

Ten looked at the two of them and then, slowly, deliberately, took his stick from the fire and, wrapping a piece of bread around the sausage, pulled it off the end.

'I'll... I'll just wander about for a bit while I eat this.' He flapped his hand vaguely in the direction down the beach. 'My legs could do with some walking.'

Rose watched him dwindle into the dusk.

'Brothers, I think,' she said softly. 'You seemed like the older brother, though, I dunno. Right now, maybe he's the older one.'

Eleven nodded.

'Funny thing, though,' she continued. 'You handed him over to me as if he couldn't look after himself. Like you wanted me to train him. Maybe you did see him a bit like a son. Just a bit.'

'Possibly,' he said. 'Not anymore. He's wiser than me now.' He laughed a little, self-consciously. 'Remember when I said that he could be a bridge between Time Lords and Humans? A teacher for us all?'

Rose nodded. 'He's changed. Being human's changed him. Only having one life. He talks to me. I mean, really, really talks.' She smiled gently. 'He doesn't hide from anything. Even those pesky human emotions.'

Silence fell. Ten was a distant figure on the beach, standing, facing the waves.

'D'you still love me?' she asked suddenly.

Eleven started.

'Do you?' she pressed.

'I'd have thought that would've been obvious,' he said quietly.

'Yeah,' she said. 'I s'pose so.' She caressed the back of his hand with her thumb. 'Silly me. He once said you'd be a bit calmer, a little wiser after regenerating. I think he's right. I feel safer around you now. I mean,' she floundered, 'I always felt safe around you. But now I feel... safer.'

'Yeah,' said Eleven.

They both watched Ten slowly turn and amble back in their direction.

'He's the scapegoat,' Eleven said suddenly.

'What?' asked Rose. She looked at him quizzically.

He continued to watch Ten. 'For my behaviour as much as his own. All the joy and the darkness. He's the one who's lost his freedom and independence. But he still has his full Time Lord knowledge and... and I know he still longs for adventure. He can't have it now. Not really. The Tardis goes where she goes. The risk of landing in a time or place without the Shadow Proclamation's consent is too great. They would be able to detect him immediately as soon as he left the Tardis. The transmitter on that tag is powerful. I can't allow him to be hunted down. I can't let his one life be cut short. Not now. Not ever. He's going to hate it.'

'He'll understand,' said Rose.

Eleven squeezed her hand. 'Yeah,' he said. 'More than I would, I suspect.'

They waited then, for Ten to return. As he did, he peered at them through the darkness. Apparently satisfied, he sat down cross-legged in front of them with a thump, his back to the fire. Rose realized then that she and Eleven had never let go of each other's hands.

'So,' Ten said, very gently. 'What's it to be, Rose? You have two Time Lords. Both love you. He can offer you thrilling new adventures, travels anywhere and any time. I can give you the remainder of my life, and the adventures we can make for ourselves on Earth. It's up to you.'

Eleven tilted his head. 'You aren't afraid to lose her?'

Ten shrugged, his movements a little jerky. 'I want her to make her own decision. It's her right, and I think we've done enough making choices for her in the past.'

They both looked at her.

'Thanks,' she said. 'Nothing like a little pressure.'

'Take your time,' said Ten. 'Eleven told the Proclamation one week. And if you want, you can travel with him for a bit and decide later. Whatever feels right for you.'

'I want both of you,' said Rose.

Ten chuckled. 'I'm not sure our egos could take that, though it would be interesting to see how it works out.'

Rose didn't answer, but she gently disengaged her hand from Eleven's and laid his in his lap. She then squatted beside him and gazed searchingly at his face. Green eyes looked back under a shock of floppy hair, face cautious and hopeful.

She turned to Ten and he shifted so that she could see his face in the firelight. As she studied him, his brown eyes were open, round, candid.

Finally she sat down between them and took both their hands in hers. 'I don't need a week,' she said. 'I love both of you. And I love the adventures. Even the Tardis is starting to feel like home again. But... we've all moved on. I need someone who can tell me what he's feeling and who won't make my decisions for me.'

She squeezed Eleven's hand and once more lovingly stroked it with her thumb. 'I know I'll miss life on the Tardis. Already have.' She let go. 'Thank you so much for all you've done for me.' She glanced at Ten. 'For us.'

'Don't mention it,' Eleven said thickly. He got up. 'I, er, I'll just stop in the Tardis for a bit. Yes. That's right. Have things to do. You two enjoy the fire.' He walked slowly back to the ship.

'No,' said Rose unhappily. She began to get up but Ten tightened his hold on her hand.

'Let him sort it out,' he said. 'Give him time.'

'I hate leaving it like that,' she whispered.

Ten leaned back against his rock and drew her to him so that she was sitting between his long, bent legs with her back against his chest. He wound his arms around her. 'It wasn't a surprise to him,' he murmured. 'A small hope, maybe, but underneath, he knew, I think.'

Rose nodded slightly. 'What about you? You were cool as a cucumber.'

Ten shuddered. 'I was terrified. I hoped you'd choose me, but I couldn't know for sure.'

'You wanted me to choose,' murmured Rose. She twisted around so that she could look up at him. She reached up and caressed his cheek. 'That's why I love you so much. It wasn't a difficult choice, in the end.'

Ten caught her hand in his and kissed it reverently. He hugged her tightly. 'I've loved you since the day I met you,' he whispered in her ear.

And with that, they snuggled even closer together and watched the flames dance in the dark and the stars shine innumerable above them.

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><p><em>Epilogue to follow<em>


	20. Epilogue

**Review Responses**

_Ariel3: _You are absolutely right! That was the core of the story, as well as it being intertwined with the Doctor (original and meta-crisis) finally being held accountable for his/their behaviour and actions on many levels: legal, moral, emotional...

I think I too would have made the same choice as Rose! It would have been tempting, though... the adventures in the Tardis... But in the long run, Ten is the one I'd want to live my life with. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. My word! To write for the show-I'd love that!

_Kolidescope: _Thank you very much for your review. I'm glad to hear that the dynamic seemed right to you. I too feel a little sad that it's all over. :)

_M J Azilem:_ Thank you! I'm rather fond of Eleven taking care of Ten too. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you to everyone who has followed this story. It's been a full year in the writing, editing and posting, and it's been a wonderful experience for me. I've loved reading your reviews and having that connection between storyteller and audience and learning about your thoughts and points-of-view.

And... currently, I am working on a follow-up story that explores Ten and Rose's adjustment to their new life. I hope that you may want to follow them in their new adventure-a light-hearted, active and yet still introspective-at-times story (I can never quite let go of all angst). It will be somewhat shorter, and I plan to have it ready for posting in the new year.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

* * *

><p>One week later, Rose, Ten, Eleven and Martha stood on a rocky shore. The sea raged around them, and a castle was behind them.<p>

Martha handed a packet to Ten and one to Rose. 'UNIT has taken your name off the deceased list,' she said to Rose. 'You were travelling the world during the Battle of Canary Wharf and have only just returned.'

'Travelling the world,' said Ten grinning. 'Where did you go?'

Rose peeked into the packet. A passport, birth certificate, bank card and several documents were inside. She brought out a key. 'We're all set,' she said. 'Key to the castle, yeah?'

'That's right,' said Martha.

'And I still have your sonic screwdriver,' Rose added, looking at Ten. He nodded.

'And you, Doctor,' continued Martha, 'I'm afraid we're back to "John Smith" for you. Gotta have something legal. But UNIT knows who you are and the difference between you and Eleven. Officially, you'll be "Doctor" with "Ten" in parentheses, but they'll still call you "Doctor", and that's how you're being introduced to the people on the island.'

'Good,' said Rose.

'There have been some unexplained events here at Lindisfarne, and UNIT wants some answers. You two are in their books as freelancers. UNIT can't think of anyone better to investigate, and I know that you, Ten, aren't quite back to your old self. This will give you some privacy for now.'

'Just give him time,' said Rose. 'Knowing him, he'll be bouncing off the walls soon and getting into all sorts of scrapes.'

Ten winked. 'Just give me time.'

Martha grinned. 'So, you two will be live-in custodians of the castle. There are plenty of stairs for you to run up and down with that energy of yours. In the future, when this place has been sorted, there's even the old Torchwood cellars at Cardiff. Everything there is up in the air at the moment. Officially it has been discontinued by the government, but UNIT may be allowed to run it in the future. The Rift is still there, and they will still need people who have had experience with aliens to manage it. But as I said, that's all still undecided for now. I don't know what role Gwen will want. I hear she's moved away.'

'Hm!' said Ten. 'I'd be making some changes around there if UNIT wants me to manage it.'

'So would I,' said Rose. 'Been there, done that.'

'I can't think of any two people better for the job,' said Eleven. 'Just one favour.'

The others looked enquiringly at him.

'Take me off the list as Enemy Number One, would you?'

Martha grinned. 'Don't worry. If UNIT takes it over, the whole thing will be restructured.'

'Glad to hear it,' said Eleven.

Martha glanced behind her at the military jeep idling in the small car park. 'I'd better go. I have to check up on UNIT's operative at Bamburgh. They'll be a contact for you too, by the way.'

Rose looked out across the water to see the large castle on the opposite shore. She nodded.

'One question, though,' Martha said. She looked at Ten and Eleven. 'I asked you before, during the trial, why there were so many people watching us when we visited Ten in the cell. You wouldn't answer, but I think you know.'

'Yes,' said Rose. 'I want to know too.'

Eleven hesitated and looked at Ten.

'Tell them,' said Ten. 'They need to know.'

Eleven took a deep breath. 'It wasn't just the visits. It was all the time once the death penalty became a real possibility.' Ten nodded at this. 'Many races have wanted samples of Time Lord genes. The information they would get from it could be used for all sorts of advantages-some devastating. No one trusted one another to not steal samples from him. Martha, I think they only allowed you to treat him since you were already with him. They probably assumed that you had all the information already or were not interested in exploiting it.'

'Same with the Judoon,' said Ten. 'They're so single-minded, they'd never use it for anything other than law enforcement.'

'But where did they get genetic samples?' asked Martha. 'Through the Master's Minions?'

'No,' said Eleven. 'I suspect they never had the information. The Master must have handed it over to the Judoon himself somehow, at some point. He would want to protect Time Lord information as much as we do. But anyone else? No. Representatives were there to watch Ten and to watch each other. But if he had been executed, there would have been a nasty fight over his body.'

Rose shuddered. Ten put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.

'I'd have fought hard to retrieve his body,' said Eleven. 'I'd have needed to cremate him as fast as I could. But failing that...'

'What?' asked Martha. 'What would you have done?'

Eleven glanced over at the Tardis and didn't answer.

Ten spoke instead. 'He'd have materialized the Tardis into wherever they were holding me. Forcing the Tardis through those shields would have destroyed the area where I was held-well, most of the base-and quite possibly the Tardis and himself.'

Rose and Martha looked at him, stunned.

'It's what I would have done for him,' he added softly. 'And it's something you two need to know if, when, either of us dies. Our bodies must be destroyed as soon as possible. Cremated preferably.'

'That's what you did to the Master,' murmured Martha.

Ten and Eleven nodded. 'And look at what happened with just a small sample of his genetic material,' said Eleven. 'You would have to ensure that everything, absolutely everything, was burned.'

Martha laughed shakily. 'I suppose the first aid kit for any house of yours needs a can of petrol.'

Ten nodded. 'Yeah.'

'I'll let UNIT know too,' she said, 'though I'll explain it as an important cultural tradition. They don't need to know about your genes.'

'Right,' said Eleven. 'Cheery thoughts, these. Sorry about that.'

Martha hugged him. 'I still have your number, just so you know.'

Eleven grinned. 'Wouldn't forget it.'

'And you two.' She stepped back. 'I'll see you around. I believe, the way things are set up, that I'm actually your supervisor.'

Ten touched two fingers to his temple. 'Yes, boss.' He and Rose looked at each other and laughed.

Martha smiled broadly. 'I know better than to try and control you two. Doomed to failure. But try to stay out of trouble.'

Rose, Ten and Eleven watched as Martha returned to the jeep and greeted the driver. As the jeep disappeared in the distance, Ten looked up at the castle.

'I love castles,' he said. 'All sorts of nooks and crannies and unexpected things.'

'Speaking of unexpected things,' said Eleven and he pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the Tardis.

'Yeah,' said Ten.

Rose hugged Eleven hard. Once more she could feel the reassuring thumps of his two hearts. 'When will we see you again?' she asked.

Eleven closed his arms around her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. 'Er, I... well... you don't need me now. We'll see.'

Rose tensed. 'Don't you dare. Don't you dare go swanning off and never coming back, you hear?'

Eleven grasped her arms gently and held her away from him. 'You have your lives to live now. You don't need me. I'd just get in the way.'

'Back to the safe island, are we?' Rose challenged. 'See, that doesn't work. After all this, it just doesn't work. You said he's a teacher for both humans and Time Lords. But you're going to run away again? You're the only Time Lord who can learn from him. And here you are, running away. Don't you dare!'

'You chose him,' he said. 'I don't want to get in the way.'

'All or nothing, is it?' she said softly. 'Haven't you learned? He's your family. And just because I chose him doesn't stop me from loving you. It never will. You made your choice to put us together and then you lost us. We're still together and you have us back. Don't lose everything again. Don't choose that again. We're your family and you know you want that.'

Eleven looked down at the ground. 'Yeah.'

Ten cleared his throat. 'I know you. Take your time. Just remember we're both human. Keep track of our timeline.'

Eleven raised his head and nodded.

'And,' Ten continued, 'come back at least once after each of your regenerations. I... I want to know how my story would have continued.'

Eleven gently let go of Rose and approached Ten. 'Yeah. I could do that,' he said softly. He gazed at Ten and reached up a hand. Very slowly, deliberately, he ran his fingers through Ten's wild hair, brushing errant locks from his forehead. Then he turned and walked back to the Tardis.

As Rose and Ten stood together, their arms around each other, the familiar _voorp, voorp _came to them through the wind. As Rose's hair streamed out behind her, and Ten's long coat flapped, the Tardis slowly disappeared.

After a while, they stirred, looked at each other and smiled. Ten took Rose's hand and they started up the hill towards the castle.

_The End_


End file.
